St. LouiS AmericAn
“Have fun and leave everything you touch better than the way you found it.”
– Steven Harris’ recipe for success
Steven Harris: Corporate Executive of the Year
By Sylvester Brown Jr.
Steven Harris, CPA, CGMA, and a managing partner with one of the nation’s top 50 accounting and business consulting firms, RubinBrown LLP, has been named the St. Louis American Charitable Foundation 2024 Corporate Executive of the Year.
Harris, just the fourth managing partner in the firm’s 70-year history and RubinBrown’s first Black managing partner, will be honored during 22nd Annual Salute to Business Networking and Awards Luncheon on Thursday February 22 at the Ritz-Carlton St. Louis.
In his role, he works closely with the firm’s chairman, John F. Herber, Jr. while focusing on oversight of operations and representing the firm across all markets locally and
See HARRIS, A6
Steven Harris, CPA, CGMA, a managing partner with one of the nation’s top 50 accounting and business consulting firms, RubinBrown LLP, has been named the St. Louis American Charitable Foundation 2024 Corporate Executive of the Year.
18th Ward Committee -woman Yolonda Yancie held down Kylie Rucker’s speech as a frigid wind whipped through the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., MLK Observance in Fountain Park in St. Louis on Jan. 13, 2024.
“Today, I think Dr. King would say we must respect each other."
Events span the region Jan. 12-15
By Ashley Winters St. Louis American
the City Hall rotunda began with local youth faith-based choir God’s Boys serenading guests with a gospel song. Community leaders spoke about the importance of MLK Day, highlighting it as a day of reflection and reverence for the iconic Civil Rights leader working towards an equitable society for oppressed people. King’s philosophy of non-violent protest helped to enable the Montgomery Bus Boycott and sit-ins at segregated lunch counters.
“We do this event in memory of all the people involved in the fight for equal rights,” said Merdean Gayles. Micheal McMillan, Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis president and CEO, expressed his gratitude during the ceremony honoring the great leader stating King’s efforts in helping those who face poverty and other financial setbacks.
By Chris King For The St. Louis American
Mary Elizabeth Grimes is president of Marian Middle School, located in the Tower Grove South neighborhood.
Founded by seven communities of Catholic sisters and several lay women in 1999, it is the only all-girls private middle school in the region serving urban adolescent youth in a faithbased environment. According to Grimes, last year 100% of Marian’s alumnae in high school graduated, and 93% went on to post-secondary programs. All of its most recent graduates got into their first-choice high schools last year, and they have an average GPA of 3.175. The American talked to Grimes about
See GRIMES, A7
A conversation with Mary Elizabeth Grimes of Marian Middle School He faces bullying allegations
By Holly Edgell Midwest Newsroom
affairs as “a gifted colleague and always a passionate advocate for Lincoln University, HBCUs and other See DEATH, A6
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Mary Elizabeth Grimes
Salute to Business
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis AMerican
Antoinette CandiaBailey
Quinta Brunson is the first Black woman to win the Best Comedic Actress Emmy in over 40 years
Quinta Brunson was awarded an Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series on Monday evening.
She became the first Black actress to win the category in 43. “The Jeffersons” star
Isabel Sanford won in 1981. Brunson is now a two-time Emmy winner. Brunson previously won in 2022 for outstanding writing in a comedy series for her work on “Abbott Elementary.” Brunson won this year for her performance of the character Janine Teagues in ABC’s sitcom, which she also created
and is a writer.
“I love making ‘Abbott Elementary’ so much, and I am so happy to be able to live my dream and act out comedy,” Brunson said.
George Clinton to funk up Hollywood Walk of Fame
George Clinton, 82, the legendary frontman of the Parliawill be enshrined in the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday Jan. 19 - and it’s way past
“George Clinton has been instrumental in shaping the sound of Funk and pushing musical boundaries.
His distinctive style, flamboyant persona, and psychedelic stage presence have made him a beloved figure and a pioneer of the genre,” said Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame producer.
Hosted by Sibley Scoles, guest speakers will include Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump (why?) and songwriter Janie Bradford.
Ayo Edebiri brings home an Emmy
Ayo Edebiri takes home the Emmy Award for supporting actress in a comedy for her role in “The Bear.”
She also won a Critics Choice Award for “The Bear” on Sunday and thanked her family in Boston, Nigeria, and Barbados.
“This show is about family and found family and real family, and my parents are here tonight,” Edebiri said. “I’m making them sit far away from me because I’m a bad kid, but I love you guys so much. Thank you so much for loving me and letting me feel beautiful and Black and proud of all of that.”
Edebiri, 28, is a Boston native born to a Nigerian father and a Barbadian mother.
Guns pulled during Chrisean Rock dating game
Chrisean Rock is regretting participating in a 20 vs. 1 dating game that ended in disaster after the shoot was raided by men with guns.
Footage from the shoot surfaced online Tuesday January 16. One video shows blood stains all over a white floor, while another features an unnamed person pulling a gun out of his jacket as two people fight on the floor.
“Y’all better record this s###,” Chrisean Rock yelled before the gun was pulled. She then began screaming when she caught sight of the firearm.
The rapper and reality TV star took to Instagram Live in the aftermath of the shoot. Although her team encouraged her to stop live streaming, Chrisean Rock refused.
Chrisean Rock escaped the shoot unharmed but vowed never to do another dating game.
Sources: CNN, Hollywood Reporter, BET, Allhiphop
Ayo Edebiri
Quinta Brunson
Reliving the “Dream”
Local church reenacts
King’s 1963 speech
By Sylvester Brown Jr.
The St. Louis American
“The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.”
-Dr. MLK / August 8, 1963
Dr. King’s spirit was resurrected Sunday inside the cavernous sanctuary of the Christ Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church on Kingshighway Blvd.
A modest group seated in caramel-colored pews braved the frigid cold to hear a collective of faith, civil rights and labor leaders re-create the historic Lincoln Memorial Rally of 1963.
The program was presented by the Missouri Progressive Missionary Baptist State Convention and the St. Louis Progressive Missionary Baptist District Association which are both organizations affiliated with the Progressive National Baptist Convention.
“The theme of the event, “Unity - Peace –Reconciliation,” according to Rev. Darryl Gray, was designed “to reflect what the organizers believe is critically essential for our city, if we are going to survive the political and systemic hatred and violence that has become all too commonplace in our society.”
Gray, one of the organizers, said the gathering was an
attempt to follow the original format of the 1963 rally but was adapted to “become more inclusive and diverse.”
The issue of diversity was evident in the lineup of speakers representing such organizations as Missouri AFL CIO, NAACP St. Louis City and County, A. Philip Randolph Institute, National Black Catholic Congress, Young Voices with Action, the Jewish Community Relations Council of St. Louis, and several others.
Rev. Fredrick Lemons II, moderator for the St. Louis Progressive District Association, described the event as “an opportunity to revisit the values and aspirations that have shaped our nation.” The “immersive experience,” Lemons added, was intended to take attendees back to the spirit of Dr King’s Dream.”
Labor leader and president of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, Floyd Bell, Jr., reflected on the legacy of Randolph, who was president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters union and one of the major organizers of the March on Washington.
Bell encouraged the audience to emulate civil rights leaders by saying, “yes when everything and everyone around you says no.” Specifically referencing Randolph, Bell urged the audience to have “the audacity” to never settle for less and have “the courage, strength and faith
League of Metro St. Louis, spoke passionately.
“Don’t misconstrue this moment. Don’t think that when we have witnessed injustices in our community that this is the ultimate action of an oppressed people,” Shegog said, adding:
“Don’t think that we are just a people who come around to talk and sing and pray and we leave it there. Remember ‘faith without works is dead.’”
Shegog asserted that adults have a responsibility to “create spaces” for the next generation so they won’t “inherit a mess.” Ending with the call to make sure the work of Dr. King and other “civil rights giants” was “not done in vain,” Shegog closed to a thunderous standing ovation.
to never falter” in the face of adversity.
Jake Hummel, president of Missouri Labor Council & Missouri AFL-CIO spoke to the 1960’s collaborations between labor unions and civil rights leaders. Indeed, Dr. King, who recognized a connection to the civil rights struggle, was a champion of working people and labor unions. In fact, at the time of his assassination in 1968 King was in Memphis, TN, supporting striking sanitation workers.
“Dr. King once said the labor movement is a principal force
that transforms misery and despair into hope into progress,” Hummel stressed.
Admitting that labor unions “in the past” were not “fully welcoming” of Black people, Hummel insisted that today “worker’s rights are human rights,” regardless of race, religion, creed, color or anything else that seeks to divide us.”
As if responding to King’s 1964 clarion call: “Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children,” Farrakhan Shegog, Young Voices with Action president at Urban
The effort to replicate that sense of religious and cultural diversity was evident in the presence of Rabbi Susan Talvi (Central Reform Congregation), Minister Donald Muhammad (Mosque #28), Father Mitchell Doyen (Peace & Justice Commission Relations Council), Rev. Claudine E. Murphy (Missouri Conference AME Ministerial Alliance) and an assorted array of other speakers.
Although they spoke from different backgrounds and perspectives, all collectively echoed the spirit and mission of King’s prophetic words before the Lincoln Memorial:
“We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
Photo by Taylor Marrie | St. Louis American
Farrakhan Shegog, CEO of Young Voices With Action, delivered remarks on Monday Jan. 15 during the Mid-County
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration with a portrait of Dr. King gracing the podium. Shegog also spoke on Sunday Jan. 14 as part of a re-enactment of King’s “I Have A Dream Speech” at Christ Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church.
By Michael Harriott
Guest Editorial
On June 2, 1959, 30-year-old Morehouse alumnus Martin Luther King Jr. returned to his alma mater to give a keynote that would have today’s Republicans bursting into a puddle of white tears.
Although Dr. King was already known as one of America’s most gifted preachers, he eschewed his sermonic style to construct an address that didn’t contain a single scripture. Instead, he leaned heavily on a colloquialism that was wellknown in the community in which he served. Nearly three years before writer William E. Kelly’s New York Times article on a “negro idiom” exposed white America to the term, King debuted an early version of a speech that he would give more frequently than any other.
“[T]he great question facing us today is whether we will remain awake through this world-shaking revolution and achieve the new mental attitudes which the situations and conditions demand,” explained the young minister. “… This is particularly true for those of us who are emerging from the yoke of oppression as a result of the present revolution. If we allow ourselves to be content with sheer mediocrity, we will be sleeping through the at a time when we should be fully awake.”
tion of the speech because it sounded a lot like critical race theory. Even moderate Republicans (if they actually exist) would have condemned King for believing in the myth of systemic racism and calling for reparations. And, of course, King was always bringing up America’s past.
“America must hear about its sins because we will never understand what is happening in this country today without understanding that we are now reaping the harvest of terrible evil planted by seeds centuries ago,” King explained. “Yes we were given emancipation but no land to make it meaningful. And you know what? At that same time, America was giving away millions of acres of land in the West and the Midwest. It was said the nation was willing to undergird its white peasants from Europe with an economic floor. Yet it would not do it for those who had been in the land, brought here in chains for 244 years so emancipation for the negro was freedom to hunger.”
We must remember that many white Americans disliked King as much as they currently dislike CRT, DEI, BLM and all of the Marxist, anti-white three-letter cusswords that white America has redefined. A 1964 poll revealed that a majority of white New Yorkers felt that the civil rights movement had “gone too far.”
As I See It - A Forum for Community Issues
Nikki Haley is proving that she is a lost cause
By Marc H. Morial
“The Lost Cause mythology was more than bad history. It provided the intellectual justification for Jim Crow — not just in the former Confederacy, but everywhere systemic racism denied Black citizens equal citizenship and economic rights ... That’s why the recent retreat to Lost Cause mythos is troubling. One would think that a Republican candidate for the presidency might be proud of the party’s roots as a firmly antislavery organization that dismantled the “Peculiar Institution” and fomented a critical constitutional revolution during Reconstruction — one that truly made the country more free.” -- Joshua Zeitz
When she was inaugurated as South Carolina’s first woman and first non-white governor in 2011, Nikki Haley said “it would be wrong to mention our greatness during the revolutionary period without noting the ugliness of much that followed. The horrors of slavery and discrimination … remain part of our history and a part of the fabric of our lives.”
for seceding. “An increasing hostility on the part of the non-slaveholding States to the institution of slavery has led to a disregard of their obligations” to return people who escaped from enslavement back to their enslavers.
The 11 states which seceded – and the pro-secession minority of legislators in Missouri and Kentucky -- cited slavery as their reason.
Haley does not claim to be ignorant of this history. The day after her craven response in New Hampshire sparked national outrage, she declared, “Of course the Civil War was about slavery,” but quickly returned to her vague talking points about “the role of government” and “individual liberties.”
That didn’t stop Haley, now a presidential candidate, from flagrantly pandering to racists by lying about the cause of the Civil War during a town hall in New Hampshire.
Yes, Martin Luther King was “woke.”
While King liked the “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution” speech so much that he recorded it as an album, Ron DeSantis would have banned it for making white people uncomfortable. The Florida governor would’ve probably felt personally attacked when King said, “Let nobody fool you, all of the loud noises that we hear today in terms of ‘nullification’ and ‘interposition’ and “massive resistance’ are merely the death groans from a dying system.”
King’s fight against “the perpetrators of the evil system that existed so long” would have been outlawed by DeSantis’ lawyers, who defined “woke” as “the belief there are systemic injustices in American society and the need to address them.” What kind of person would blame white people for institutional racism?
Nikki Haley would’ve likely called King a “Democratic plant” if she heard the 1965 version that mentioned 1619 and slavery. Christopher Rufo would’ve labeled King a communist for the rendi-
A 1965 Gallup poll found that 85% of Americans believed that communists were involved in the civil rights movement. By 1966, only 35% of white Americans believed that King “helped the negro cause,” while 50% believed he was “hurting” it.
When Operation Breadbasket suggested an early version of affirmative action to “negotiate a more equitable employment practice,” conservatives would have called it reverse racism. King surely would’ve been met with the phrase “not all white people …” when he said: “He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.”
Yes, many of today’s conservatives would’ve hated that guy.
Michael Harriot is an economist, cultural critic, and author. This commentary was originally published by The Grio
When she told her questioner that answering him wasn’t “easy,” it wasn’t because she didn’t know that slavery was the cause of the Civil War. It was because she knew that giving the correct answer would alienate voters who have embraced a false version of history.
In the Declaration of the Immediate Causes Which Induce and Justify the Secession of South Carolina from the Federal Union, issued December 24, 1860, the government of South Carolina explained its reasons for seceding from the United States. Those reasons bear no resemblance to Haley’s cowardly blather about “the freedoms” and “the role of government.”
Unlike Haley, South Carolina’s lawmakers were honest about their reasons
Haley’s pandering on the issue of slavery in New Hampshire appears to contrast with her comments in 2015, after a white supremacist who draped himself in symbols of the Confederacy murdered nine Black worshippers at Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston. Announcing the removal of the Confederate flag from the State House grounds, she called it -- for some --“a deeply offensive symbol of a brutally offensive past.”
In a 2010 interview with an activist group called Palmetto Patriots, she said the war was a conflict between “tradition” and “change,” never mentioning that the tradition was slavery.
As the daughter of Sikh immigrants from India, Haley’s loyalty to the false “Lost Cause” interpretation of history could not be assumed when she was running for Governor. As a presidential candidate, she has proved that she is eager to defend white supremacy by distorting history and presenting racial gaps as the result of ‘merit” and “hard work” instead of systemic oppression.
Marc Morial is National Urban League president and CEO
If we, like Dr. Martin Luther King, truly believe that the words of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence are meant for all Americans, then zealously embrace them and put them into practice by letting them govern and guide our actions in both our public and private lives.
That fundamental belief inspired and motivated King and lit the path he chose to fix policies and practices to make life in America as it was intended to be.
This was made abundantly clear in his “I Have a Dream” speech during the historic march on Washington in 1963.
“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, Black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.”
If we, like King, still have faith in America’s promises, despite her imperfections and failures, and faith in the decency and goodwill of the majority of our fellow Americans, we will continue to rise and protect this nation and work to make our way of life better.
When you hear the words and see the actions today of some of our elected officials at every level of government, do you sense that they, like King, are using our fundamental governing documents as guides?
If we, like King, seek to bring about change through dialogue — and when dialogue fails use sustained peaceful protest— then we have chosen a proven and effective strategy.
What would King have thought about what happened in our nation’s Capital on Jan. 6, 2021, which was in stark contrast with what happened during the march on Washington in 1963?
Even though another momentous document — the Emancipation Proclamation signed one-hundred years before King led the Civil Rights movement — had failed to deliver on its promises, King still believed in its purpose and its power.
He firmly believed that resorting to violence and hatred was not the way to get the country to honor its promises when it came to racial equality.
In that same speech, King said: “In the process of gaining our rightful place
No matter how long it takes. No matter how strong the opposition is.
King began his fight to gain equal rights for Blacks, poor whites and other disenfranchised groups years before the March on Washington He continued the fight until his assassination in 1968 at the age of 39.
We will never know how long he would have stayed the course, working for equal justice, equal opportunity, equality in housing, employment and education to become standard practice, ingrained in the fabric of American life.
But he let us know how deeply his beliefs and faith ran: “I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” crisis?
Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and work stood for more than the fight for civil rights. King fought for the fulfillment and realization of America’s principles, values and promises. What are we willing to stand for during these challenging times we are facing? Missouri Independent columnist Janice Ellis analyzes educational, political, social and economic issues across
and
Columnist
Marc H. Morial
Guest Columnist Michael Harriott
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. will celebrate its 116 years of community service during the Founder’s Day Observance on January 28, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis. International First Vice President Charletta Wilson Jacks will serve as guest speaker.
AKAs address social issues, climate change through volunteerism
St. Louis American
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Metropolitan St. Louis Chapters will celebrate the Founder’s Day Observance at 10 a.m. Sunday, January 28, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis, 315 Chestnut Street.
Charletta Wilson Jacks, international first vice president, will serve as guest speaker.
Under its national theme of “Soaring to Greater Heights of Service and Sisterhood,” Central Region graduate and undergraduate members logged 51,873 volunteer hours by bringing awareness to national and local issues impacting their communities, including climate change.
Central Region chapters, which include eastern Missouri and Metro East Illinois, did the following:
• Provided 28,522 AKA CHIPPTM (Childhood Hunger Initiative Power Pack) backpacks filled with weekend and holiday meals for school-aged children. AKA
CHIPPTM is Alpha Kappa Alpha’s most ambitious childhood hunger program.
• Held AKA YLI (Youth Leadership Institute) leadership development program sessions for more than 500 participants. AKA YLI empowers and engages youth who are aged 11-13 years old to be future leaders.
• Planted 3,332 trees and held 46 recycling events.
• Sponsored 216 social justice events that included voter workshops, candidate forums, state capitol visits and legislative letter writing campaigns to promote awareness of black maternal health issues.
“In recent years, many of us have seen families struggle with food insecurity, legislative erosion of civil, voting and medical rights as well as an ever-changing climate that is affecting the environment,” said Kiahna W. Davis, Alpha Kappa Alpha’s 31st Central Regional director.
Incarceration’s isolating effects
By Gina Clayton-Johnson
I first met Tyshion when she came to Essie Justice Group in 2019, right before the pandemic. Like many of us, Tyshion had loved ones who were incarcerated. Through our Healing to Advocacy program, she was beginning to understand just how deeply isolated she felt and what true community felt like. And then the pandemic hit.
Despite moving our programming to Zoom, the compounding impact of social distancing as a medically vulnerable person, economic strain and loss of connection to her incarcerated loved ones sent Tyshion spiraling back into loneliness.
Weeks later, we received the news of her death. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about Tyshion. We had failed to keep her out of isolation. And now she had died by suicide.
Last year, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory calling attention to the epidemic of loneliness and isolation, saying “millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows.” He offered that “our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding in plain sight – one that can help us live healthier, more fulfilled, and more productive lives.”
The crisis so many women bear quietly, their desperation going unaddressed, can be traced directly back to America’s carceral system.
We think of incarceration as punishment for the person convicted of a crime. But the harms of incarceration expand far beyond one individual. Mass incarceration is family separation “on repeat,” creating mass isolation. Incarcerated people have families, loved ones and a community. When removed, those left behind, mostly women, become isolated. Black women are an unrecognized casualty of a vicious criminal justice strategy. According to a study published in the DuBois Review at Harvard, 1 in 2 Black women has a family member in prison
The United States spends billions of dollars on a “law and order” agenda — ramping up sentences, building new prisons and expanding police forces. Today, almost 2 million people are locked up in our country, a 500% increase in the last 40 years. Seventy million people have criminal records and seven million children have an incarcerated parent. The $80.7 billion the United States has spent on public prisons and jails is an investment in isolation.
Incarceration of a loved one negatively impacts women’s emotional well-being, physical health and financial stability. Essie Justice Group released a study of nearly 3000 women with incarcerated loved ones in 2018 where 86% of women report experiencing significant mental health effects. A majority (63%) reported that their physical health has been significantly or extremely affected. A third of women (32%) lost their household’s primary source of income and nearly 70% shared that they are their family’s only wage earner. The result is a health crisis and equity gap facing millions of women and is especially harmful for Black women.
The level of isolation experienced by women with incarcerated loved ones has social and political implications. Women with incarcerated loved ones are politically isolated, implicating the health of our social movements and the well-being of society at large. Community organizing makes it possible to tend to the systemic causes of isolation while putting people in connection with one another, which turns out to be a critical, life-saving practice.
Women with incarcerated loved ones at our organization have returned to convening our programs in person. A program graduate shared last year, “To me Sisterhood is support. Unconditional love. Sisters who have my back. You keep the line at all times. If I’m feeling down or lonely or depressed, I know that I’m not alone. I have people that have my back, that aren’t gonna step to the side and watch things happen — they’re gonna step in. Sisterhood is exactly what I needed. It didn’t happen by chance.”
To effectively address the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in this country, especially as Black women experience it, we need to end our country’s $80 billion investment in isolation by ending mass incarceration.
Gina Clayton-Johnson is executive director of Essie Justice Group, which she founded in 2014 to harness the collective power of women with incarcerated loved ones.
Photo courtesy of Alpha Kappa Alpha Soroity Inc.
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Pastor Timothy Price illustrated that one of King’s biggest concerns for community involvement was helping poor people, putting faith behind the work that needs to be done to help those facing racial, and social/ economic oppression.
“Dr. King proposed guaranteed basic income to abolish poverty and advance Black communities, and St. Louis will join more than 20 other cities and pushing his vision for economic justice forward,” said St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones
Mayor Jones voiced her concern on streets named in honor of Dr. King, she said a 2021 study found that streets across the US named after the Civil Rights icon, those neighborhoods experience more poverty, crime, and segregation than other communities.
“This is no coincidence, this is intentional,” said the mayor.
Jones announced the SLDC purchase of the former Kellogg Electrical Plant. The facility will be renamed the MLK Innovation Center. According to the mayor, the new facility will bring together the Northside Economic Empowerment Center, SLATE, Office
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causes in which she believed.”
The brief remarks include no mention of the circumstances that may have contributed to her death or how it has roiled the community around Lincoln, one of two historically Black universities in Missouri.
The online outlet HBCU Buzz reported last week that CandiaBailey had allegedly experienced bullying and severe mistreatment in her leadership role, often at the hands of university President John B. Moseley.
Her family members have confirmed the 49-year-old died by suicide on Jan.8.
Her mother and
of Violence Prevention Center, the city’s land bank commonly known as the LRA, and other community partners in a centralized hub on the historic street.
“ The innovation center will be a place where economic development can grow up and down this historic corridor,” said Jones. “To bring back the
husband told NBC News on Friday that Moseley fired CandiaBailey on Jan. 3. The St. Louis American and other media outlets obtained a copy of her termination letter, in which Moseley wrote Candia-Bailey was being fired “due to your continued failure to appropriately supervise your staff and continued failure to properly supervise the area of student affairs at Lincoln University.”
Jefferson City television station KRCGTV reported CandiaBailey, a graduate of Lincoln, asking for support from the university’s Board of Curators, only to be turned away. Her emails and communications with friends and family, which were forwarded to the American, revealed
vibrancy that once was MLK boulevard” Jones added, “ We will honor Dr. King’s ultimate dream, a society where everyone can succeed, reversing decades of historic wrongs and ensuring every family has the opportunity to do more than just survive but every family has the opportunity to thrive.”
depression and despair.
“Our institution is heavy-laden with despair, discontent and disappointment regarding the loss of the precious life of Dr. Antoinette ‘Bonnie’ Candia-Bailey,” wrote Lincoln Alumni Association President Sherman Bonds in a letter to Board of Curators President Victor Pasley, obtained by HBCU Buzz. Bonds goes on to call for an immediate change in the university presidency.
“What occurs on one’s watch is one’s responsibility — and one must be held accountable, good or bad,” Bonds wrote.
Lincoln University’s Board of Curators released a statement announcing Moseley had voluntarily taken a paid leave of absence. “We are committed to make certain the mental health
Several elected officials including state Sen. Brian Williams were honored. He received the King Man Award. Dr. Kendra Holmes, CEO of Affinia Healthcare, received the King Woman Award. Holmes’ acceptance speech touched on the health disparities in Black maternal health, she spoke on King’s efforts to
of Lincoln University employees is a priority and that every employee is always treated with dignity and respect,” the statement said.
The board’s message includes its intention to “engage a third-party expert to fully review potential personnel issues and concerns recently raised regarding compliance with the University’s established policies and procedures.”
Lincoln University students have been protesting and seeking answers since they learned of CandiaBailey’s death. According to KRCG, many of them waited outside a closeddoor Board of Curators meeting on Friday, hoping to question leaders about the university’s response and plans.
“We were just trying to have a conversation
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nationwide.
Harris began his career with the Clayton-based accounting and professional consulting firm in 1999, after graduating from UMSL with a degree in accounting. He was initially hired as a staff accountant after interning with the firm through INROADS, a program that aims to place underserved youth in corporate and community leadership roles.
Harris’ professional ascension over the past 20 years has been steady and impressive. In 2010, the firm named him a partner in Entrepreneurial and Assurance Services. He became chairman of the board of the National Association of Black Accountants in 2016 before his promotion to managing partner in 2022.
After graduating from Normandy High School, Harris had several higher education choices. He had the opportunity to attend the University of Missouri–Columbia or the University of Michigan, but he decided to stay close to home and attend the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL).
In an interview with UMSL Daily in 2022, Harris credited his ascent to the top of his profession to life lessons he learned while working with his
Flint Fowler, Boys & Girls Club of St. Louis president and CEO, and Keisha Lee of Annie Malone Children Home.
““I’m not giving up on our youth,” said Lee.
“You never know who will be the next Dr. Martin Luther King.”
Dr. Shawn Baker of Harris Stowe State University, said “Dr. Kings’ dream is a living and breathing force that defines history that calls on us to play a part in changing our future to end division and create justice. A dream of unity, it is imperative to carry that dream forward.
17-year-old Ismail Botchway, says he will keep Dr. King’s legacy alive, by advocating in his community to get more young people involved in civic activities. Participating in community service, learning more about past and current activists, and earning from them.
ensure that underrepresented mothers and babies had equal health care.
“Let us put our efforts into providing clinical care for Black mothers and babies to survive,” said Holmes.
The healthcare team was also at the ceremony giving out free flu and COVID-19 vaccinations.
Also honored were
just to get some type of answers or just to be heard,” Lincoln’s Student Government Association President Kenlyn Washington told KRCG. “When they said, ‘OK, we’re having a closed meeting now,’ it was very frustrating.”
Alumni and students have taken to social media to call for Moseley’s removal as president, using the hashtag #FireMoseley.
Lincoln alumnus and Atlanta City Council member Antonio Lewis shared news of CandiaBailey’s death in council chambers.
“I truly wish I was wrong about the dangers of Dr. Moseley,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Moseley, who is white, has served as Lincoln University president since 2022.
Candia-Bailey joined
father, E.C. Haris, who owned a drapery installment business in north St. Louis County referring to his father as his “first mentor and best friend” Harris recalled his father’s commitment to service.
“It really started with learning from him on how to treat people like people, build a great network, try to do a quality job and good things happen,”
Harris told UMSL Daily.
“I spent a lot of summers working with him. He’s gone now, so I wouldn’t trade any of that for the world.”
Initially, Harris said he intended to study engineering but after the accounting classes he took under Dave Ganz, then associate dean and director of undergraduate studies in UMSL’s College of Business Administration, he changed courses.
Harris had a talent for the mathematics involved in engineering but was captivated by Ganz’s teaching methods.
“The way Dave would explain it, he would take real-life scenarios and just bring them to life,” Harris recounted to UMSL Daily.
“You’re working on math, but you’re really working through a real-life scenario, which is really, really special.”
While pursuing his college degree, Harris worked full-time in catering and banquet set-up at the Marriott St. Louis Hilton Airport. While juggling work and school, Harris
“Fight for racial justice, fight for equality for all, making sure we are all doing our part. So that future is better for us and the next generation after us,” said Botchway.
Ashley Winters is a Report for America reporter for the St. Louis American.
More MLK event coverage on A3 and Living It section.
Lincoln University in April 2023, less than a year before her death. Her hiring announcement described her as having “extensive experience in advocating for social justice and change. She is passionate about examining selfesteem and identity development, particularly in African American women, and enhancing DEI efforts.”
“I believe diversity work is like a puzzle,” Candia-Bailey is quoted in the announcement. “I strive to help individuals find their pieces in the puzzle.”
This story comes from the Midwest Newsroom, an investigative journalism collaboration including IPR, KCUR 89.3, Nebraska Public Media News St. Louis Public Radio and NPR.
managed to excel and make the best out of his time at UMSL.
“I got everything I could out of those years of my life. I did everything and had no regrets because that whole experience was great,” Harris told the university publication.
Over his extensive career, Harris has been honored with many local and national awards, including The Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Diversity Award by the Missouri Society of CPAs. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Missouri - St. Louis and an Executive MBA from Washington University. He is also chair of the Regional Business Council’s Young Professionals Network, is on the Chancellor’s Council at UMSL and is involved with the United Way of Greater St. Louis. In the 2022 UMSL Daily interview, Harris described his recipe for career success: “The most important thing I had to learn is you must have fun along the way. You have to put energy into everything that you do and own it,” Harris said. “Have fun and leave everything you touch better than the way you found it.”
Sylvester Brown Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow.
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
Montgomery Price, a 7th grader at the Grand Arts Academy, recites a poem she wrote called, “Black Girl Magic” at the 55th Annual MLK event in St. Louis City Hall Monday, January 15, 2024.
Grimes
Continued from A1
how education can break the cycle of poverty and how they avoid student and staff burnout in a curriculum where students attend school 10 hours a day, 10 months a year.
St. Louis American: What’s new and what’s next for Marian Middle School?
Mary Elizabeth Grimes: Just prior to the pandemic, Marian underwent the development of a 10-year-impact statement and plan. This plan serves as our roadmap for the next 10 years at Marian and ultimately helps to ensure the long-term sustainability and vibrancy of our school for our students, families, and community.
Marian is creating a village of mental wellness through our expanded expert CARE Trio. At Marian, our on-site school counselor anticipates and meets the daily mental and social emotional needs of students; a school-based licensed therapist enables students and alumnae to access licensed therapy to address and process severe trauma and emotional distress; and our family-resource advocate meets directly with the families of our students and alumnae to connect them to urgent resources in times of crisis.
We’ve also added a multitude of other resources at Marian to ensure the mental wellness of our students – such as yoga, community partners that focus on wellness, and a new screening tool that helps us identify students who might be struggling and need support but are masking their challenges and would ordinarily go unnoticed.
Marian is also enhancing the Graduate Support Program with even greater career and workforce readiness, including partnerships at local universities that our graduates will benefit from. In addition, we arrange internships with forward-thinking employers and global leaders for our alums in high school and college.
Last year 100% of Marian’s alumnae in high school graduated and 93% went on to post-secondary programs. Seventy-three alumnae have earned college degrees, eight have secured advanced degrees, and six are currently working on advanced degrees.
We incorporated graduate support and mental health because poverty is a serious deep-rooted issue in our community. In 2022, in the City of St. Louis, the poverty rate stood at 19.6%, compared to 11.5% overall in the U.S. (according to the US Census for St. Louis and the US). In 2021, the rate of poverty for those without a high school diploma was 25.2%, and dropouts are more likely to live in poverty than college graduates.
Add to that a couple of extremely important stats: on average, there is an 11-year gap between when a young person seeks treatment for a mental health concern and the original crisis, and less than 15% of children experiencing poverty and in need of mental health services receive support.
St. Louis American: What’s new and what’s next for you?
Mary Elizabeth Grimes: In the last 10 years I have led the development efforts at Marian and raised over $20 million to support annual operations and the financial reserve. No one accomplishes their goals alone. I have the privilege of working with a skillful and accomplished team in addition to mission focused supporters. I’m sure I will continue to mentor young people and
other professionals to help them reach their potential. I will also use my platform to advocate for policies that promote equity and diversity.
St. Louis American: Your school is “committed to breaking the cycle of poverty through education.” How do you do that?
Mary Elizabeth Grimes: Marian’s Academic Program combines multidisciplinary and hands-on learning to prepare girls for STEM careers and to prepare them to attend high- performing high schools. Our Enrichment Program provides opportunities for girls to engage in leadership development, empow-
erment, soft-skill building, and character growth. And, through the Graduate Support Program, Marian’s advisors connect girls to extracurricular activities, internships, scholarships, college resources, and career opportunities.
In May, Marian alumnae Paola Beltran earned her MBA from Webster University and Niya Tandy earned her law degree from Howard University. Today, Paola is a successful leader at Ascension, and Niya is putting her Juris Doctorate to use at one of our region’s largest law firms, Bryan Cave. Freba Amin is the first Marian alumnae and first person in her family to attend medical school! And Faith Clarke recently
got a job at Google.
St. Louis American: Your students are in school 10 hours a day from August until June and participate in weekend and summer educational activities. How do you avoid burnout?
Mary Elizabeth Grimes: We find that this rigorous schedule helps to ensure they stay on track academically over the summer. Our program also includes Independent Reading, Study Hall, and a new program called “What I Need” or WIN, which provides time within the school day to ensure students learn time management skills while giving them the ability to seek out specific teachers.
Our Enrichment Program includes things like sports, beat making, service club, Lean In Club, Robotics, and even activities that have helped them learn to swim and play golf.
One of our alumnae, Ronnesha Wingo, just signed on to be our parttime recruitment specialist because she considers it her personal mission to ensure that more young girls in our community benefit from Marian’s life-altering education. She recently graduated from Dillard University and is working full time as a chemist.
St. Louis American: I saw that to honor Women’s History Month, Schnucks brought its
robot that does inventory to your school to teach the girls about STEM education and robotics training. How did that go?
Mary Elizabeth Grimes: Last year, Marian achieved the highest level of performance and earned the Platinum Banner at the Clavius Robotics Jamboree. Nearly 500 students from 35 schools in the metro and surrounding areas competed. Among them, Marian was the only all-girls team. Our students were thrilled to get to see the Schnucks’ robot Tally and ask all the questions they could about how it works.
‘Taking Care of You’
Affinia HHS grant to help serve Afghan immigrants
Will provide ‘vital’ healthcare services
By Alvin A. Reid St. Louis American
When founded in 1906, Affinia Healthcare included in its mission that they would assist all St. Louisans, regardless of their national origin or race. In continuance of that pledge 116 years ago, Affinia has been awarded a grant to serve Afghan refugees relocating to the St. Louis area.
The $388,438 grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and administered by the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI).
It will support Affinia’s culturally and linguistically appropriate health education, navigation and care coordination towards the immediate and long-term physical and mental health needs for Afghan refugees included under the USCRI guidelines for this
program, according to the provider.
To assist refugees and other groups who are eligible for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) Program and are entitled to health coverage benefits to the same extent as refugees, “it is critical to ensure newcomers can understand and access the U.S. healthcare system,” Dr. Kendra Holmes, Affinia Healthcare president
These doctors are on a mission
By Mylika Scatliffe
In the 55 years since the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., we are still grappling with the institutional and systemic racism and oppression for which he sacrificed his life. It affects every aspect of life for Black people, including health care. Black people have fought health care disparities for decades largely due to lack of access to health care for people of color.
Dr. Roderick King, chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer of the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS), is a physician with deep roots in advocacy for health equity. His career spans nearly three decades, but his passion for health care equity stemmed from what he witnessed as a boy and young man growing up in Brooklyn, N.Y.
n Black people have fought health care disparities for decades largely due to lack of access to health care for people of color.
“My father cared for underserved populations and addressed issues of health in equalities experienced by his patients for nearly four decades, so I’ve witnessed the value of the role community plays in health care all my life,” said King. King believes one of the reasons for the lack of progress regarding inequities in health care is the oversimplification of the problem.
“We don’t embrace the complexity of understanding that root causes will vary from one area to another and one community to another. The drivers of diabetes among Black men and infant mortality rates for Black women may differ for the rural population on the Eastern Shore of Maryland versus urban west Baltimore,” said King.
Spotting signs for when aging parents need at-home care
Begin conversations early
By Laura Onyeneho Word in Black
For Lula Goodall, being in a career that allows her to care for others in need was a dream. Serving the elderly community is a duty that is personal for her. At the age of 16, she became an orphan. As an only child, the loss of both of her parents at such a young age shaped her perspective on the fragility of life and what her purpose was as an adult. “What do I do now?” she asked herself. She lived with her grandparents, and they were much older. One of them had passed, which required her to take on more domestic responsibilities.
Now as the CEO of Zuhri Care, a home care agency for seniors in Houston, she is helping young adults with the challenges of caregiving they may not be prepared for.
Americans are choosing to have children later
n 23% of U.S adults are part of the “sandwich generation,” or individuals with a parent age 65 or older raising at least one child younger than 18 or providing financial support to an adult child.
in life and are likely finding themselves caring for elderly parents and children at the same time. According to a Pew Research Center survey, 23% of U.S adults are part of the “sandwich generation,” or individuals with a parent age 65 or older raising at least one child younger than 18 or providing financial support to an adult child. This is more prevalent in Black families where caregiving is regarded as an inherent duty despite some challenges, such as the barriers of increased
See AGING, A11
recommends that adult chil-
Nina Taylor, community health worker with Affinia Healthcare, shares information with an attendee at an event last summer at the International Institute of St. Louis. Affinia Healthcare was recently awarded a grant to assist refugees with health services and resources.
Photo courtesy of Affinia
Lula Goodall is the CEO of Zuhri Care, a home care agency for seniors in Houston. She
dren watch for signs that their parents could use in-home assistance.
Mylika Scatliffe
Photo courtesy of Lula Goodall
Affinia
Continued from A10
& CEO, explained.
“Increasing non-clinical services for individuals and families is vital to enhancing the wellbeing of these populations. Immigrants arriving in our city are often fleeing traumatic situations and whatever health concerns they may have had, are exacerbated by the stress of long travel, separation from friends and family, and finding housing and employment,” said Dr. Holmes.
“We are extremely honored to continue the mission of our founders and look forward to providing vital healthcare services and support to these communities.”
This latest grant builds upon previous partnerships to serve immigrant communities.
In March 2023, the Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis awarded Affinia Healthcare at $63,000 to provide immigrants healthcare services.
In April 2023, Affinia Healthcare announced a partnership with the Al Taqwa Islamic Center to provide healthcare services to its members, which includes Muslim immigrants to the United States.
USCRI grant awarded in 2018 and renewed in 2023, to provide initial health examinations, immunizations and primary care for newly arrived refugees.
Affinia Healthcare serves as the primary care home for many of the
Aging
Continued from A10
healthcare costs and the inability to create generational wealth due to out-ofpocket expenses for care.
Goodall recently shared what signs adult children should notice when their parents show signs of physical and cognitive decline and what caregivers can do to cope.
When is it time to seek additional assistance for aging parents?
Goodall: There are a few signs. I’ll give a few basics. Check if hygiene seems off or if they’re wearing a mismatched outfit. When they drive, are they circling around familiar locations and not remembering where they are? Do you notice household mismanagement with chores and mail accumulation? These signs might seem harmless, but it’s important to stay aware.
newly arrived refugees and other immigrants who often lack health insurance access, caring for over 4,000 immigrants on an annual basis.
During 2022, Affinia served more than 700 new
refugees and anticipates approximately 800 new arrivals in the current fiscal year (Oct. 22, 2022 - Sept. 30, 2023), most being from Afghanistan, in addition to other immigrants.
The number of new immigrant patients is expected to significantly increase this year, as the International Institute of St. Louis, the local refugee relocation agency, anticipates receiving another
800 Afghan refugees and other refugees.
Affinia host group prenatal care event
MO HealthNet, in partnership with the St. Louis
How can adult children discuss additional help for parents?
Scatliffe
Continued from A10
Under King’s leadership, each of the eight UMMS hospitals has an equity and patient care team. Each team takes on clinical metric such as pediatric asthma, diabetes, or unplanned return visits to hospital emergency departments, and is tasked with venturing into the community to learn the root causes of these disparities.
King’s wealth of experience includes being a clinician, professor and administrator at an academic medical
Goodall: Conversations like this need to start early. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Even though your parents are aging, they still feel you must respect them because they raised you. Discuss life insurance and ask open-ended questions.
institution. He also works on health policy with the federal government, which has made him an invaluable asset to building excellence in health equity across all the communities and people served by UMMS.
“People didn’t really believe health disparities existed until a Congress funded report called ‘Unequal Treatment’ in 2003 – only 20 years ago! Its sole purpose was to confirm that health disparities exist in the United States,” said King. Fast forward 20 years, and UMMS has what King calls a “watershed” moment of demonstrating how a health system can address equity and patient
The biggest fear is when you’re talking about aging. The first thing we think about is death. It shouldn’t be that way.
What are some common misconceptions about aging care?
Goodall: One common
care.
“I don’t think there is any health system in the country doing what we’re doing – using data, identifying key disparities, driving action plans and measuring our impact within different communities. Others have already started to watch and take notice and begin to emulate what we’re doing at the University of Maryland system,” said King.
Community outreach is also a passion of Dr. Pat Mathews-Juarez, senior vice president for strategic initiatives and innovation, and professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Meharry
misperception is that the caregivers do not speak to the parent as if they were children. When I meet with the clients for the first time, I take my time to address them instead of making them feel like an afterthought in front of their adult children.
Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. As a native of rural North Carolina, advocating for health care equity at the community level has been her life’s work in one way or another.
“Access to health care services is critical for good health and increased quality of life. People living in rural and underserved communities historically encounter extreme barriers to accessible heath care services. This is deemed as common and usual in a rational health care system,” said MatthewsJuarez.
“I knew that from growing up in the rural South that my job was
Integrated Health Network, hosted a group prenatal care additional reimbursement launch event on Friday January 12 at the 1717 Biddle Street center.
Group prenatal care models are designed to improve patient education and include opportunities for social support while maintaining the risk screening and physical assessment of individual prenatal care.
“We are excited to announce the launch of additional reimbursement to providers conducting evidenced-based group prenatal visits for their patients,” said Kirk Mathews, MO HealthNet chief transformation officer.
“This is a great step toward eliminating the racial disparities in maternal/infant health outcomes that have existed far too long.”
Group prenatal care is instrumental in reduction in preterm birth, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions, and decreased emergency department visits in the third trimester. It is beneficial to increases in birth weight for term and preterm infants; rates of breastfeeding initiation and continuation, and patients presenting in active labor and at greater cervical dilatation, and patient, obstetrician and other obstetric care provider satisfaction.
Prenatal care also improves pregnancy-related weight management, and knowledge of childbirth, family planning, postpartum depression, and early child rearing.
Goodall: There are a lot of resources, and you should utilize them as early as possible. Try to seek help, even if you aren’t ready to fully transition. For aging parents, it’s time to give yourself grace and patience with your caregivers. They want the best for your overall health, well-being, and safety. Planning for the future is not taboo. Plan your life now because you never know when you’ll need care.
What has running Zuhri Care taught you?
Someone might have dementia, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t aware of what’s happening. There are different levels.
What advice do you have for well-being of caregivers and aging parents?
to become an instrument for doing what I thought was good. I understood it took much more than just having an idea. People had to get involved at the community level.” Matthews-Juarez continued.
Matthews-Juarez has sought health care equity in communities around the United States including in New York, North Carolina, Boston, Los Angeles as well as London, England.
“There are Black men that are losing their limbs and on dialysis because of diabetes.
There are Black women who are experiencing poor maternal outcomes. And it’s because they
Goodall: I’m originally from Zambia. Zuhri is a Swahili word that means ‘beautiful.’ I always encourage my caregivers who work with our clients to give them a beautiful experience. We’re not just caring for clients. We care for the families as well. We understand that the changes can be challenging emotionally and mentally. We want to give care in a dignified manner, and keep clients as independent as possible.
don’t have access to information and care. Why aren’t the men given information on managing their diabetes? Why are Black women just being told to watch their blood pressure but not being actively monitored to control it?” asked Matthews-Juarez.
“This collaboration will leverage our mission to improve health outcomes and advance health equity,” said Matthews-Juarez.
King and MatthewsJuarez have similar missions – to put ideas into action.
By Mylika Scatliffe is women’s health writer
for The AFRO
Affinia Healthcare announced in April 2023 a partnership with the Al Taqwa Islamic Center to provide healthcare services to its members, which includes Muslim immigrants to the U.S.
Photo courtesy of Affinia
Questions or comments? Contact Cathy Sewell csewell@stlamerican.com or 314-289-5422
at no charge.
Ms. Stovall’s third, fourth and fifth-grade class at Gateway MST Elementary School, are using the engineering design process to construct an index card STEM tower.
The atmosphere is a thick layer of air that protects us from the sun’s radiation, falling meteors, and toxic gas. The atmosphere consists of five layers: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, ionosphere and exosphere. The layer closest to the earth is the troposphere. It is 11 miles thick and it controls our weather. The next layer is the stratosphere, which is 30 miles high, contains the ozone layer, which protects us from the sun. Next, is the mesosphere (about 50 miles from Earth), which is -180 degrees Fahrenheit. 430 miles
SCIENCE INVESTIGATION
Background Information:
Layer
above the earth is the ionosphere, which is considered outer space. Ions in the ionosphere create an electrical layer used to transmit radio waves. Extending more than 6,000 miles is the final layer, the exosphere. The atmosphere is approximately 75% nitrogen and 25% oxygen.
For More Information, Visit: http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-forkids/0040-introduction-to-our-atmosphere.php.
Learning Standards: I can read nonfiction text for main idea and supporting details.
Build a Portable Cloud
In this experiment, you will see how moisture, temperature, and condensation affect cloud formation.
Materials Needed:
• Gallon Jar • Hot and Cold Water • Lamp • Rubber Glove
• Food Coloring • Matches
• Rubber Band
Process:
q Pour ½ cup cold water into the jar. Add a few drops of food coloring and stir for one minute to allow some water to evaporate.
w Place the plastic glove over the jar—with the fingers down in the jar and the open end of the glove over the mouth. Use the rubber band to secure the glove.
e Adjust the lamp so that it shines on the jar and turn on the light.
r Place your hand in the glove and quickly pull it outward
MATH CONNECTION
without disturbing the seal. Record your observations. t Now quickly push your hand back into the glove and record your observations.
y Carefully remove the glove from the lid, drop a lit match into the jar, and seal it with the glove placed in the previous position.
u Put your hand into the glove, pull it out quickly, and record the observations.
i Repeat the entire process using hot tap water. What differences do you notice? Analyze: How does temperature affect cloud formation?
Learning Standards: I can follow sequential directions to complete an experiment. I can analyze results.
The Problem with Weather
Solve these weather word problems. Remember to look for clue words and check your answer.
z A hurricane has wind speeds as low as 75 miles per hour (mph). If the wind is blowing 87 mph, how many fewer mph until it is no longer considered a hurricane?
x Sixteen inches of rainfall fell last year. Twelve inches fell this year. What is the total number of inches of rainfall over the past two years? ____________ What is the average of the two numbers? ____________
DID YOU KNOW?
c The temperature in New York City is 43 degrees. In San Francisco it is 70 degrees. What is the difference in temperature between New York and San Francisco?
v If a cloud is 18 feet long, how many inches long is it?
b If snow is falling at a rate of ¾ inch per hour, how much snow would you have in 5 hours? _____________________
Learning Standards: I can read word problems to determine clue words. I can add, subtract multiply, and divide to solve a problem.
AFRICAN-AMERICAN METEOROLOGIST:
Samuel Williamson
Samuel Williamson was born in Tennessee on March 5, 1949. After graduating from W.P. Ware High School in 1967, he attended Tennessee State where he received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Nine years later, he earned his master’s degree in management from Webster University.
In 1971, he began his career with the U.S. Air Force’s Air Weather Service as an atmospheric scientist. Six years later, he joined the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he worked to help create the Doppler Weather Radar System. This is the system that uses radars to detect precipitation and calculate its motion and intensity. This system is important because it allows meteorologists to warn citizens about upcoming storms so that they can prepare and be safe.
Williamson later served as the Senior Staff Associate for the National Science Foundation, where he worked to develop science education. He also served on the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Science. In 1998, he became the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research. He used this opportunity to make positive changes in the use of aviation weather, space weather, wildland fire weather, weather for surface transportation, and tropical cyclone research.
Williamson is a member of the American Meteorological Society, the Montgomery College Foundation Board, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Guard Association, Committee for the Environment, Natural Resources, and Sustainability (CENRS), and the National Science and Technology Council. He was elected as a Fellow of the African Scientific Institute. In 2010, he received the Presidential Rank Award, and the NOAA Distinguished Career Award.
Discuss: An atmospheric scientist has a very important career. Explain why. If you are interested in this career, what could you do now to start learning about it?
Learning Standards: I can read about a person who has made contributions in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
MAP CORNER
Use the newspaper to complete the following activities.
Activity One Conflict: Locate a news story that has a conflict. What is the conflict? Is it an internal conflict or an external conflict? Is there an effort to resolve the conflict?
The Earth’s molten iron core creates a magnetic field—extending from the surface of the Earth out several kilometers. This is known as the magnetosphere. The Earth’s atmosphere extends out to 10,000 km. For more facts about the atmosphere, visit https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-the-atmosphere/ Earth doesn’t take 24 hours to rotate on its axis; it actually takes 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds.
Activity Two —
Weather Watch: Are there any cause/ effect news stories about weather? Can you find an article that has timely information related to weather—for example: weatherizing your house, the importance of sunscreen, gardening tips for the spring, etc.
Learning Standards: I can use the newspaper to locate information. I can identify conflict and cause/effect relationships.
The St. Louis American’s award winning NIE program provides newspapers and resources to more than 8,000 teachers and students each week throughout the school year,
Teachers, if you are using the St. Louis American’s NIE program and would like to
Students Jeremiah Smith, Jay’vionna Allen, and Naomi Dixon, in
Photo by Ms. Stovall
A unique specimen
Aigner Miles traversed varied path on way to entrepreneurship
Aigner (pronounced Ayn-yay) Miles, owner of Easy Lab Tech, LLC, a blood, urine and DNA testing laboratory based in Maryville, Illinois.
By Sylvester Brown Jr.
St. Louis American
Aigner (pronounced Ayn-yay) Miles, owner of Easy Lab Tech, LLC, a blood, urine and DNA testing laboratory based in Maryville, Illinois, believes she can do anything. In fact, her husband recently commented on her multifaceted skills.
“He said, ‘you are amazing; you’re a doctor, a counselor, a writer, a scientist and a marketer…’ Miles recalled, repeating her husband’s question: “‘How do you know how to do all these things?’”
Miles responded humbly, saying that she simply loves new information and following where it leads.
Named after the famous 1970s/80s’
French designer, “Etienne Aigner,” the 38-year-old has indeed traveled a diverse career path. She served in the military, worked in logistics, modeled, wrote a book, and started a home healthcare business all before opening her laboratory in late 2021. Miles is the oldest of her mother and
See MILES, B2
Dramatic DEI decline in George Floyd aftermath
‘Racial reckoning’ in retreat
By Helen Bezuneh The AFRO
In the aftermath of the widely publicized police killing of George Floyd in 2020, the U.S. faced what was commonly referred to as a “racial reckoning.”
During this period, corporations and universities rushed to issue public statements expressing not only their dedication to advancing racial justice, but also pledging to implement explicit diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI).
Three years later, several corporations have proceeded to lay off numbers of DEI workers amid far-right backlash to diversity programs. Wells Fargo, American Airlines and Glassdoor lead the list of companies with the largest declines in their share of diverse new hires from July 2022 to February 2023, according to Revelio Labs, a workforce analytics company.
See DEI, B2
Three years after George Floyd’s murder at the hands of former Minneapolis police officers, the corporate drive to increase DEI programs and opportunities for minorities has slowed, and several corporations have proceeded to lay off numbers of DEI workers amid farright backlash to diversity programs.
PeoPle on the Move
Griffin named People’s Health Centers COO
Betty Jean Keer People’s Health Centers, a community health center leader in providing equitable healthcare to the underserved and uninsured, has announced the appointment of Dr. Ronald Griffin as its new chief operating officer (COO). Dr. Griffin previously served as St. Louis County Department of Public Health director of clinical services. Griffin also serves as trustee for St. Louis Mental Health Board among a list of other boards and community services. He received a master of health administration from Webster University, and his doctorate of nursing practice, executive nurse leadership from Baylor University.
Tiph Jones named YWCA CEI officer
YWCA Metro St. Louis has announced that Dr. Tiph Jones, Ed.D., has joined the agency as chief economic inclusion officer. Jones is an organizational psychologist and workforce development professional who brings a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to empowering individuals and fostering diversity and inclusion.
“We are thrilled to add Dr. Jones to our executive leadership team,” said Dr. Cheryl Watkins, MBA, YWCA president and CEO.
Lockhart a Media History Hall of Fame inductee
Linda Lockhart, a veteran journalist who has worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis Public Radio and the St. Louis American, is one of five print journalists in the St. Louis Media History Foundation 2024 Hall of Fame class. The newest members will be honored Thursday, February 1, 2024, at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries. The inductees include:
Print: Jessica Z. Brown-Billhymer, Clay Felker, Dave Nicklaus, Jim Gallagher, and Lockhart.
Television: Joe Buck
Radio: Fred Bodimer and Ed Scarborough
Advertising/PR: Tim Arnold and Jim Palumbo
Missouri Foundation for Health adds Cummings
Simone Cummings
Simone Cummings, Webster University George Herbert Walker School of Business and Technology dean is one of three new Missouri Foundation for Health board members. Also joining the board are Emily Dai, director of fundamental research at Pacific Life and Eric Ralph, Leadership Team at Highland Associates managing director. Brian Kinkade, Children’s Health and Medicaid Advocacy for Missouri Hospital Association vice president has been confirmed as the new board chair.
Photo courtesy of Gallup Center on Black Voices
Ronald Griffin
Tiph Jones
Linda Lockhart
Photo by Amy Elting / Unsplash
Miles
Continued from B1
estranged father’s 13 children. She was born and raised near Fairgrounds Park in St. Louis before moving to Jennings in her late teens. Miles enrolled at Cleveland ROTC, a now-shuttered magnet military academy on the city’s south side. The disciplined, military environment at the high school suited her so much she enrolled in the U. S. Army right after graduation.
Stationed in South Carolina, then Virginia, then St. Louis and lastly St. Clair, Illinois., Miles embraced traveling while continuing her educational endeavors. She earned a bachelor’s in psychology and completed a graduate program in mental health, counseling, and forensic psychology at Mizzou.
She left the Army with a certification in automated logistics. Since Miles was trained to review and implement processes that make “systems” more efficient, she went to work for companies that offered maintenance, inventory management, supply and operating products and services.
She liked the work but wanted to utilize her psychology degree, so she transitioned to social work. Miles’ job as an investigative child abuse worker involved cases of drug use, parental neglect and sometimes even murder.
“It quickly became taxing for me,” Miles explained, adding that she had her first child at the time. “It created burnout really fast and impacted me as a mother…I was always gone, always in danger and always in high-profile situations.”
Miles (under her maiden name “Martin”) wrote “Perseverance is Remembrance” in 2011. The book, outlining the struggles, strength, heartbreak, and endurance of a young mother, was written during a “dark time in her early 20s,” she said.
In 2017, while still doing social work, Miles opened her own home healthcare agency specializing in providing long term care and services for the geriatric population.
“It was a huge jump from working with abused kids to medically compromised seniors,” Miles said, further explaining how the business whet her appetite to better understand how different agencies could help her clients. In the process, she built rapport with other healthcare professionals offering a variety of client services.
That information-gathering led to the opening of Easy Lab Tech, LLC. Married with two more children and living in
DEI
Continued from B1
Wells Fargo’s share declined by 4.65%, American Airlines’ share shrunk by 3.35% and Glassdoor’s share waned by 5.81%. Attrition rates for DEI roles have exceeded those of non-DEI roles at more than 600 U.S. companies that implemented workforce reductions since late 2020.
While American Airlines declined the AFRO’s request for comment, Wells Fargo provided the AFRO with a statement in which they reemphasized their aspirations for diversity, equity and inclusion.
“Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is unwavering,” a Wells Fargo spokesperson wrote. “We are focused on our three strategic priorities tied to DEI: Increasing diverse representation within Wells Fargo, better serving and growing diverse customer segments and increased spending with diverse suppliers. We have made progress in our efforts to build more sustainable communities, including introducing initiatives in homeownership, banking inclusion and other areas. While there is more work to do, we are committed to achieving enduring results for our colleagues, customers and communities.”
Following the recent Supreme Court decision to eliminate affirmative action in colleges, DEI efforts across varied sectors have encountered harsh criticism.
Amazon, Applebee’s and Twitter have had the largest outflows of DEI talent with seniority cutoff since July 2022. According to a LinkedIn report the recruitment of chief diversity officers (CDOs) witnessed a notable decline by 4.51% in 2022. This marks a significant shift from the substantial hiring growth observed in 2020 and 2021.
The years 2020 and 2021 saw a surge in DEI initiatives, signaling a hopeful shift in racial justice in the U.S. A number of companies initiated the formation of DEI departments, the hiring of CDOs and the expansion of their DEI teams. In the three months following George Floyd’s murder, DEI job listings increased 123%, according to Indeed. The rate of new CDO hires in 2021 was nearly triple the rate of hires in the previous 16 months.
In 2020, JPMorgan said that they would provide $30 billion in loans to Black and Latino homebuyers and small business efforts over a five-year period to fulfill their fight against systemic racism within economic sectors.
According to a recent summary of progress by JPMorgan, the bank has “deployed or committed” more than $13 billion of their goal so far. JPMorgan’s percentage of workers of color has shown minimal change from 2019 to
Maryville, Illinois., Miles wanted something on the Illinois side of the river. She said she “sort of stumbled onto the idea” based on professionals she had met in the industry. Based on her contacts, Miles said she got certified as a drug-tester and then added “additional relatable certifications.” She sold her healthcare business and in late 2021-as the COVID-19 pandemic surged-set off on a new venture. She admitted to going into the specimen collection business “kind of blindly.”
“It was a huge learning curve, but it wasn’t impossible,” Miles explained. “I like to think that if I can learn any product, I can sell the service,” she explained. “So, it’s just a matter of me understanding the needs and then basically developing myself and my staff to meet the needs of clients.”
Miles was also fortified by the research she had done. Located not far from established testing companies like Quest and Labcorp clinical laboratories, she had already lined up viable contacts in Illinois willing to send clients and business her way.
Today, Easy Lab Tech offers a variety of specimen collection services. It collects specimens (urine, blood, hair, saliva, stool) for workplace drug-testing, insurance companies, local physicians, specialty laboratories working on clinical trials and more. The company also provides DNA testing for paternity determination, probation & parole and local jail systems and criminal trials.
Miles even offers DNA testing for people who suspect their partners may be unfaithful.
“Yes, we have that ability. People can bring in clothing, sheets, bras, whatever… and we can test for the presence (or type) of semen, hair or other (foreign) specimens.”
The key to her success, Miles insisted, is her passion for new information.
“It’s just fun to me. Going out may be fun for other people but this is fun for me,” Miles said. “My daughter is an amazing artist; she loves theater, she loves art, she loves to draw and write. This is my art. I love information. I’m all into it.”
Although business is “booming and thriving,” Miles said she can’t promise she’ll retire in the specimen-collection industry. It all depends on where information leads her.
“I’m in it for as long as it thrives,” Miles said, adding: “But I’m also open to whatever doors open next even if it’s something totally different.”
Sylvester Brown, Jr. is the Deaconess Foundation Community Advocacy Fellow
2022, according to research conducted by Statista. As of December 2022, white employees made up about 83 percent of JPMorgan’s U.S.-based leadership positions.
“For decades, we’ve sustained relationships and collaborated with community and civil rights organizations to help inform, innovate and calibrate efforts to overlay a broader, more inclusive and equitable lens into our business – so that all of our employees, customers and communities, including those from diverse backgrounds, can grow and thrive,” JPMorgan wrote in a statement shared with the AFRO. “Our efforts precede the murder of Mr. George Floyd.”
“In 2019 we established Advancing Black Pathways (ABP) to build upon our efforts to support economic development within the Black community globally. ABP focuses on four key areas where there are racial and economic disparities that create barriers to long-term financial success: careers and skill building, business growth and entrepreneurship, financial health and wealth creation, and community development. ABP is focused on building upon our legacy redefining wealth and prosperity for Black people everywhere.”
Hailey Bowley, founder of H. Bowley Consulting and former director of equity, diversity and belonging at KABOOM!, spoke on the diminishment of DEI initiatives in November at the Equity in Action Conference, hosted by Associated Black Charities.
“Employees have been indicating that they have no longer been setting DEIspecific goals,” said Bowley.
“We’re now seeing that Black workers are among the most unhappy with 49% of those surveyed saying they want to quit their jobs, according to an Indeed report. A lot happened in the aftermath. There were promises made, there were commitments made, there were half-hearted initiatives put in place for a time, for a period. And now we’re here.”
Hailey Bowley, founder of H. Bowley Consulting, says as DEI initiatives are declining Black employee job dissatisfaction is nearing all-time highs.
Photo courtesy of LinkedIn
n “I think the only choice is to move on from Dak Prescott.”
– Former All-Pro Shawne Merriman’s advice to Dallas Cowboys
InSIdE SportS
By Earl Austin Jr.
‘Sweet’ revenge
Pattonville girls top Vashon, retribution for last year’s loss
Some of the top girls basketball talent in the St. Louis metro area was on hand at the Eighth Annual Sweet Hoops Girls Classic at Harris Stowe State University.
Despite the frigid temperatures outside, girls basketball fans filled the Emerson Center on HarrisStowe’s campus to watch the shootout, which has grown into one of the area’s top basketball showcase events under the guidance of Lift for Life Academy Athletic Director Chandra Palmer.
In the main event, Incarnate Word Academy defeated Lutheran St. Charles 74-52 in a showdown of the Class 6 state champions (IWA) and Class 5 state champions (Lutheran) from last season. Junior guard Nevaeh Caffey of Incarnate Word scored 16 points to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the game.
The top individual performance of the event came from freshman sensation Dasia Scott of Principia. The talented 6’2” forward scored 37 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead the Panthers to a victory over East St. Louis in the opening game of the event.
One of the most competitive games of the event was Pattonville against Vashon, which had a great game at last year’s Sweet Hoops event. Vashon won the game last season, but
Pattonville came away with the victory this season. Senior guard Zoe Newland scored a gamehigh 18 points to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the game. Lift for Life Academy withstood a furious rally from Huntsville Lee (AL) to post a 65-62 victory. Sophomore guard Diamond Polk scored a team-high 17 points to lead Lift for Life. She was named the Most Valuable
Player of the game. The Hawks also got 17 points from talented freshman guard Amaya Manuel.
Area teams headed to Quincy Shootout
A group of top boys basketball teams from the St. Louis area will be headed to Quincy (IL) this weekend to participate in the Quincy Shootout, a two-day event that features several national-level
schools and prep schools from around the county. Vashon, Chaminade and Principia will be playing in this prestigious event. On Friday night, Principia will take on Quincy Notre Dame at 7 p.m. at Notre Dame. Vashon will host The Burlington School at 7:30 p.m. as part of the shootout. Chaminade will take on national power Imotep (PA) at Quincy High at 8:30 p.m.
SportS EyE
With Alvin A. Reid
I like my new son-inlaw, Tyler.
I still call him “new” because he and my daughter Bryson wed on Oct. 21, 2023. We’ve competed against one another, Bryson too, in a fantasy football league for two seasons. Tyler topped me by a half-point in a game this year, and then ousted me from the playoffs.
Yes, I still like my son-in-law. I became a Dallas Cowboys fan on Dec. 31, 1967. The Ice Bowl. The Green Bay Packers beat the Cowboys in the NFL Championship game on a Bart Starr quarterback sneak. I was 7 and liked the team in white with the star on the helmet. I have no idea when Tyler became a Packers fan, but that’s his team – and Jordan Love is his beloved quarterback. As Love riddled the Cowboys defense in the first half, I knew Tyler was giddy. In fact, the decision was made to not watch the game together. He thought
Pattonville’s Brooke Boyce (24) moves past Vashon’s Timiya Mosley (20) during the 8th Annual Sweet Hoops All-Girls Basketball Showcase Saturday, Jan. 13, 2024 at HarrisStowe State University.
Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, which was held at Missouri State University. The Wolverines won two of their three games at this national tournament to take home the consolation championship. After dropping its first game to national power McEachern (GA), the Wolverines came back to defeat Springfield Glendale and Rainier Beach (WA) to win fifth place. Junior forward Nicholas “Butta” Randall was selected to the AllTournament Team. The 6’8” forward averaged 11 points and nine rebounds in the tournament. Junior guard Trey Williams averaged 13 points a game while junior guard Christian Williams averaged 12 points in the tournament.
On Saturday, Vashon will face Oak Cliff Faith Family at 6 p.m. while Principia will take on Winchester West Central at 9 p.m. Both of those games will be held at Quincy High.
Vashon wins two games at Bass Pro TOC
Vashon spent last weekend in Springfield, MO to play at the
Son-in-law Tyler’s Packers dance on my Cowboys’ heads
the Cowboys would be kicking tail, as did I.
When Darnell Savage returned a Dak Prescott interception for a touchdown to run the score to 27-0 in the Packers’ favor, I received a text from my daughter with a video attached.
Tyler was doing a happy dance. It was a cross between the ‘Dougie’ and Harlem shuffle, but I got the point.
It made me smile, one of few on a day that saw the Packers trounce the Cowboys 48-32 in an NFL wild-card playoff game.
Unbelievably, I still like my son-in-law.
I’m now a bigger fan of Love. In his first postseason game, Love threw three touchdown passes, and completed 16 of 21 passes for 272 yards with no interceptions. His 157.2 quarterback rating is one of the highest four in NFL playoff history.
right now. It feels great. That’s really all I can say.” There isn’t much more to say.
I didn’t count Green Bay or Love out – I didn’t think they would win. I for darn sure didn’t think they would dominate.
Tyler’s happy dance – like so many other Cowboys playoff defeats over the past three decades – is now seared into my brain. You name the playoff disappointment; I can tell you where I was when it happened.
I’ll get my chance for fantasy league revenge next season over “Jordan Love Me Tender,” Tyler’s team. The Cowboys will find a way back to the playoffs again in early 2025, and we can get even with the Packers.
Symon Says One of the most improved players in the St. Louis area has been 7’3” sophomore center Symon Ghai. The tallest player in the area, Ghai has really been coming on strong in the past couple of weeks with a string of big performances. He helped the Golden Griffins to the championship of the Rotating 8 Tournament. He had 32 points and 15 rebounds in the semifinals against Clayton and 14 points and seven rebounds in the championship game against Principia. Ghai also had 20 points and 15 rebounds in a victory over Chicago Whitney Young at the Highland Shootout in Illinois.
“We came in here with a mindset of we’re going to dominate,” Love said.
“A lot of people were
Not bad for a guy whose future was being questioned after the Packers opened the season 2-5. Green Bay closed the regular season 6-2, including a final-game triumph over the Chicago Bears, to grab the NFC’s final playoff spot.
counting us out, and we didn’t care about that.”
As his team celebrated, Love was still as cool as he was while dissecting Dallas’ defense.
“Oh, yeah, it feels great,” he told reporters.
“I’m trying to hide some smiles. There’s a party in the locker room
For now, Tyler has the right to dance. I hope he’s still dancing after next week’s game at the San Francisco 49ers.
The Reid Roundup
As amazing as Jordan Love was in the Green Bay Packers upset of the Dallas Cowboys, C.J. Stroud was just as good in guiding the Houston Texans to a wild-card victory over the Cleveland Browns. Stroud and Love tied with a 157.2 passer rating for the fourth-highest single-game passer rating in NFL playoff history. Only Terry Bradshaw (158.3 in 1976), Peyton Manning (158.3 in 2003) and Josh Allen (157.6 in 2021) have a higher mark…When asked about his coaching future next year, Mike Tomlin abruptly ended a postgame press conference after his Pittsburgh Steelers went down to the Buffalo Bills. He said on Tuesday that he plans to coach the Steelers next year, in the final year of his contract… Speaking of Buffalo, Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs are headed there for a road game after dispatching the Miami Dolphins in frigid Arrowhead Stadium. The forecast calls for 27 degrees and partly cloudy skies. That will seem like Miami to the Chiefs.
Earl Austin Jr.
Alvin A. Reid
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love reacts after a touchdown pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the NFC wild card game at AT&T Stadium.
Photo by Tim Heitman / USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Wiley Price / St. Louis American
St. Louis American
Ascension Charity Classic surpasses $2.6 million in charitable donations
The Ascension Charity Classic presented by Emerson has surpassed $2.6 million in support of charitable organizations in North St. Louis County and the region since the tournament’s inception in 2020.
The total includes charitable donations from the third playing of the Ascension Charity Classic, concluded September 10, 2023, of $200,000 for each of the tournament’s primary beneficiaries, Marygrove, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, and Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.
“The Ascension Charity Classic brings together professional golfers, volunteers, sponsors and fans to make a real difference in North St. Louis County. The tournament’s charitable investment allows organizations to provide needed services to the community,” said Elizabeth Foshage, Ascension executive vice president and chief financial officer.
The tournament generated additional funds in 2023 through the Legends Charity Challenge presented by World Wide Technology. The third annual exhibition on Saturday, September 9, featured an all-star field of participants to support the First Tee of Greater St. Louis and PGA REACH Gateway.
The RSM Putting Challenge, held on Tuesday of tournament week, raised resources for additional charities. The second-year event featured 11 three-person teams—each consisting of one PGA TOUR Champions professional, one corporate sponsor participant, and a player associated with the benefiting charity—competing in a nine-hole putting match at Norwood Hills.
Participating charities in the 2023 RSM Putting Challenge included: Eta Boulé Foundation, Family Forward, Good Shepherd Children & Family Services, Lafayette Industries, Little Bit Foundation, Lolly’s Place, Marygrove, Operation Food Search, Our Little Haven, Ronald McDonald House of St. Louis, and St. Louis Counseling.
The Ascension Charity Classic has also established a tournament advisory committee to ensure the tournament remains an important part of the St. Louis community. Advisory committee members for the 2024 Ascension Charity Classic include: Mike Andrew (Enterprise Mobility), Pat Britt (Clayton Financial Group), Ron Daugherty (Daugherty Business Solutions), Eric Engler (Ascension), Elizabeth Foshage (Ascension), Sara Goellner (World Wide Technology), Matt Horner (World Wide Technology), Scott Hovis (State of Missouri), Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe (State of Missouri), Taliya King (Accenture), John Komlos (ARCO Construction Company), Tom O’Toole (Golf Ambassador), Ozzie Smith (PGA REACH Gateway), Patrick Smith (Ameren), Stan Thompson (Coatings Unlimited), Cathy White (Grainger), Senator Brian Williams (State of Missouri), and Keith Williamson
(Centene).
“The Ascension Charity Classic has mobilized our community to grow the game of golf and support local charities,” said Alonzo Byrd, the tournament’s director of business development and community engagement. We are sure the tournament will continue to make a significant impact, especially in disadvantaged communities.”
The 2024 Ascension Charity Classic is September 3–8, at Norwood Hills Country Club. The tournament is a premier event of the PGA TOUR Champions.
For more information including tickets, Pro-Am and hospitality availability, visit the Ascension Charity Classic website at ascensioncharityclassic.com For latest updates visit follow the tournament on Twitter/X at @ascensionccg, at facebook.com/ascensioncharityclassic and Instagram at @ascensioncharityclassic.
County Executive Page christens STL County ‘Opportunity Central’
County Executive
Dr. Sam Page delivered his State of the County address on January 10 at the University of Missouri- St. Louis. He highlighted accomplishments of 2023 including ongoing investments in
North County – the completion of the I-270 North project, a new North County police precinct set to open this spring, a $1.8 billion investment by Boeing and Clayco’s plan to add 400 new jobs at the old Express Scripts
site. Dr. Page also unveiled a new county logo and tagline “Opportunity Central.”
“The logo, serves as
a cohesive symbol of St. Louis County, bringing our brand tagline ‘Opportunity Central’ to life by physi-
cally placing the modern fleur de lis in the center of the woven circles,” said Page.
“The woven circles represent our location, bounded by the converging Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The circles also represent the partnership between the county and its municipalities, the partnership between government and people, and the balance needed to move Saint Louis County toward prosperity.”
The 2024 Ascension Charity Classic is September 3–8, at Norwood Hills Country Club. The tournament is a premier event of the PGA TOUR Champions.
“By popular demand, we’re bringing the Together Again Tour back to North America this summer with special guest Nelly!” - Janet Jackson announcing that Nelly will join her 2024 summer tour
Finding ‘Foreverland’
Grammy winner Keyon Harrold to celebrate new album release with Jazz St. Louis shows
By Kenya Vaughn
The St. Louis American
For the past 25 years, Grammy-winning trumpeter Keyon Harrold has used his horn as a hip hop instrument. Him doing so is no slight to the jazz that is at the root of his formal musical education – and helped him hone his craft. Quite the contrary. He uses hip hop as a gateway to the genre, which speaks to the evolutionary power of the art form and cultural phenomenon that originally made Black culture synonymous with American music.
“I don’t want to be that person who is not trying to push boundaries and move through other platforms – that is what jazz has been about from the very beginning,” Harrold said. “For me, this is my voice. I’m not trying to be cliché. This is what I believe.”
With his trumpet as his “passport to the world,” Harrold’s mission has been to figure out where he fits as a conduit between genres. “It’s about taking my jazz capabilities and putting them in the element of what today’s music is.” His passion for doing so has his name alongside some of the biggest names in music – and tethered to culture shifting moments, most recently as a featured musician for the “The Color Purple” reboot starring Fantasia, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks and Colman Domingo.
That journey has led him to his latest album, “Foreverland.” The album drops on January 19 by way of the Concord Jazz label. Harrold will be celebrating with a handful of live performances on January 26-27 at Jazz St. Louis, where he serves as Creative Advisor.
See Foreverland, C6
SLSO in ‘Motion’
Kelly-Hall Tompkins makes SLSO debut in violin concerto world premiere
By Chris King
For the St. Louis American
Conductor Laureate Leonard Slatkin led the St. Louis Symphony orchestra through two one-off concerts during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend at the Touhill Performing Arts Center that celebrated the music of George Gershwin.
The program on Friday, January 12 was all about endings and beginnings – it ended with an orchestral arrangement of Gershwin’s last work and Duke Ellington’s final piece and opened with a world premiere and a St. Louis premiere.
The world premiere was a treat even by the rarified standards of world premieres. Jeff Beal – better known as an
Friday, January 19 on the Concord Jazz label. He will perform selections from the album at a special two-day engagement with Jazz St. Louis Jan. 26- Jan. 27.
Emmy Award-winning composer for quality TV shows like House of Cards –dedicated Body in Motion for violin and orchestra to Slatkin and the soloist Kelly Hall-Tompkins who joined SLSO in premiering this edgy, challenging piece. Though Beal grew up playing jazz trumpet and specializes in making music for moving pictures, Body in Motion did not sound especially jazzy or cinematic. As Slatkin said in his introduction, this violin concerto is “more abstract – there is no story.” It calls for virtuoso violin playing. Though Body in Motion does lack a set of themes in dramatic interplay and in that sense tells “no story,” its violin solos explore the history of music, and Hall-Tompkins proved a masterful teller of those stories. “She is an intense, passionate performer,” the composer writes of his soloist and dedicatee, “who seems to never wish to sit still artistically, nor shy away from intense effort.” Indeed, she premiered
‘Lift’ tries to fly but often falls flat
By Dwight Brown NNPA Film Critic
Any film that begins with an elaborate, broad daylight heist deserves viewers’ attention. It’s what comes between that intro and the film’s adrenalin-pumping final hour that may give Netflix audiences reasons to take a refrigerator break.
Comedian and comic actor Kevin Hart tries to ditch his funny, smartmouth persona to play a suave international thief. Hart showed he can stretch from his comic roots in the drama The Upside. But can he, with the aid of action film director F. Gary Gray (The Fate of the Furious), handle an Idris Elba type role in a film that should have Ocean’s Eleven-style intrigue? We shall see.
Cyrus (Hart) and his band of sophisticated thieves are in Venice, Italy at an auction where they intend to swindle away a famous NFT artwork (aka Nonfungible token, or a digital asset stored on a blockchain that represents content or even physical items). Its creator is the very popular AI artist named N8 (Jacob Batalon, Spider Man: No Way Home). An Interpol agent named Abby (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Belle) and her boss Huxley (Sam Worthington, Avatar) surveil the nattily dressed dude who tries to outbid everyone for the AI images.
Cyrus is confident he can pull off this caper because his international crew specializes in identity fraud, money laundering and thievery: Camila the pilot (Úrsula Corberó), Mi-Sun the hacker (Yun Jee Kim), Magnus a safecracker (Billy Magnussen), Luke the engineer (Viveik Kalra) and Denton a master of disguises (Vincent DinOnofrio). It’s a great surprise when someone blackmails the gang into a mission to thwart a possible disaster masterminded by a crimelord ecoterrorist (Jean Reno).
What’s on the line? $500M in gold!
The premise has merit. The director has a filmography (The Italian Job) that shows he can make this project work.
What about the script? Screenwriter Daniel Kunka is fine with outlining events, far less accomplished with establishing three-dimensional characters, memorable dialogue and a storyline not burdened with unnecessary backstories. A lot of the film’s wrinkles and glaring mistakes could have been ironed out in a table read where the cast and crew aired their opinions. However, there’s plenty of evidence from what’s on the screen that that kind of fine-tuning never happened.
Starting the film in picturesque Venice (cinematographer Bernhard Jasper) and ending with steady doses of action was a smart choice. Shooting so many interiors ((production design Dominic Watkins, Dolittle) and exteriors in funky ways that telegraph the use of green screen trickery, was not so smart. Brawls inside a jet look particularly
Keyon Harrold’s latest album
‘Foreverland’ will be released on
Photo by Kwafu Alston
Photo courtesy of Netflix Kevin Hart in a scene from his new heist film “Lift,” now streaming on Netflix.
Photo courtesy of Facebook Kelly Hall-Tompkins Kelly Hall-Tompkins performed the world premiere of ‘Body in Motion’ with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on Friday, Jan. 12, 2024
CONCERTS AND LIVE SHOWS
The Voices Of Motown
The Voices, a dynamic R&B Soul group hailing from Chicago pays homage to Motown
1/18/2024 7:30pm
City Winery St. Louis
3730 Foundry Way Suite 158 St. Louis, MO
$30.00 - $40.00
Litty Trap 2024
1/20/2024 7:30pm
Pop’s Concert Venue 300 Monsanto Ave Sauget, IL
$10.00
17th Annual Ice Carnival
1/20/2024 11:00 am where viewers can hear the synced music for the show. St. Louis, MO Free
Mike Judy Presents: Lyn Lapid - to love in the 21st century: the epilogue tour
1/21/2024 8:00pm Off Broadway St Louis 3509 Lemp Ave St. Louis, MO $22.00
Rhapsody in Blue (SOLD OUT)
1/21/2024 3:00pm
Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The Aaron Diehl trio makes its debut in Mary Lou Williams’ Zodiac Suite, and Paul Turok channels a famous St. Louis resident in A Joplin Overture.
STL Sites & Sounds
Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center One University Blvd St. Louis, MO
NIGHTLIFE
Warped Party at Up-Down 1/18/2024 7:00pm Enjoy Nu-Metal, Ska, Swing, Pop-Punk, and Rockabilly music Up-Down St. Louis St. Louis, MO 405 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108
ART ACTIVITIES, EXHIBITS AND MUSEUMS
Artist Talk: Dominic Chambers 1/18/2024 6:00pm-7:00pm Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis 3750 Washington Blvd St. Louis, MO (314) 535-4660
Broken Heartsa juried art exhibit
1/20/2024 12:00pm 1/21/2024 12:00pm 1/22/2024 12:00pm 1/24/2024 12:00pm 1/25/2024 12:00pm
Broken Hearts - a juried art exhibit. See how local artists create artwork which explores the complexity of emotion within a broken heart. The exhibit is free and will run from January 12 thru February 16. The gallery also hosts a group exhibition in the main gallery every month
Malik Ahmed, founder of Better Family Life, and his wife DeBorah Ahmed, its senior vice president of cultural programs, have been married more than 40 years. This portrait and more will be featured at “30+ Celebra tion of Marriage,” Lois Ingrum’s solo exhi bition, which includes a panel discussion, on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2:00pm - 4:00pm.
for artists to submit their work for display.
Gallery hours are Thurs days 4-8 pm, Fridays and Saturdays 12-8 pm and Sundays 1-5 pm.
Soulard Art Gallery St. Louis, MO 2028 S 12th St, St. Louis, MO 63104 Free
Family Sunday
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Artist Lois Ingrum’s solo exhibition of photographic work represents the general theme “What was the glue to keep married couples together for more than 30 plus years.”
The body of work will include 63 20x24 color canvas-wrapped digital images. In addition to the photo exhibit, there will be a panel discussion on the merits/virtues of marriage and a streaming audio of the couples’ dialogue while photographed in the studio.
Grace and Peace Fellowship Located at 5574 Delmar Blvd
St. Louis MO 63112
LBB Presents: Keith Boykin - Why Does Everything Have to be 4501 Westminster Place, St. Louis MO 63108. Topics include financial and legal considerations when planning ahead, protecting assets and Medicare considerations, and planning ahead spiritually with family in mind High Low, Listening Room, 3301 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO, 63108 For more information, contact Madeline Franklin at info@stlvillage.org Free
Black Youth and Juvenile Justice Storystitchers: Ryan Vickers, Youth Advocacy Program 1/23/2024
High Low, Listening Room, 3301 Washington Ave 6310
Religion Using MLK’s work to inspire young Black voters
By Adelle M. Banks Religion News Service
Bishop William J. Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of Poor People’s Campaign, was scheduled to speak on Wednesday at SIU-Edwardsville but snow and frigid weather on the East Coast led to a travel cancellation.
The appearance was part of a seven-city tour where the Bishop would discuss his role in with Faiths United to Save Democracy, with the first stop being Sunday Jan. 14, 2024, at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem in New York.
“Today, poverty is the 4th leading cause of death in America,” Barber said in a provided statement published in a Religion News Service article.
n
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“It is a death sentence for Americans. It is a moral travesty and a detriment to the soul of our nation that poverty kills more people than homicide yet the powers that be don’t want to address it.”
For Black church leaders and multiracial coalitions, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, less than
300 days from Election Day, has come to represent the unofficial start to voter mobilization efforts.
Barber and other pastors are focused on overcoming increased restrictions on voting in some states that may discourage voters — especially younger ones — from casting their ballots.
“We are deeply concerned that our democracy and the right to vote is threatened in ways that we never even imagined,” said the Rev. Barbara Williams-Skinner, coordinator of Faiths United to Save Democracy.
“And at the same time, too many of our young people and also people who are disadvantaged are checking out of the system, do not feel like it is working for them.”
Her coalition, Williams-Skinner said, plans to expand its activities beyond the Black church leaders who have traditionally been involved in its efforts to include Jews and Muslims, Asian American Pacific Islanders, Latinos and others. A diverse set of advocates representing those groups are sched-
While weather caused cancellation of Rev. William Barber II’s
organization’s observance of the King holiday.
“Right now, the Civil Rights Act he pushed President Johnson to pass in 1964 is under relentless attack, voting rights for Black Americans are being chipped away in dozens of states, and diversity in Corporate America is on the brink.”
The breakfast, said The Rev. W. Franklyn Richardson, a New York-area pastor who chairs both the NAN and CNBC’s boards, will kick off a joint campaign to connect with some 31,000 congregations affiliated with the Black church conference and the dozens of chapters of Sharpton’s network to train pastors to, in turn, educate congregants in the voting process.
“We plan to use every vehicle, every asset available to us to try to give attention to this election in November, and we’re starting early because we don’t believe we can do it in the last three months of the election season,” he said.
uled to speak at a virtual forum on Monday called “Why Vote?” that will feature a video message from NBA star Steph Curry.
“We’re starting early because we need to spend a lot more time educating people about how to vote, how to vote against the rising tide of misinformation and disinformation,” she said.
“We need to make sure people understand what their rights are.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network hosted a Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast on Monday in Wash-
ington, where voting rights was a topic of the day. His organization and the Conference of National Black Churches announced a joint “Get Out the Vote” campaign in December that will focus on issues of concern to African American voters, including affirmative action and health care access.
“We are not simply celebrating Dr. King’s legacy this year but coming together to publicly vow to protect it from those who wish to undo his work,” said Sharpton in a statement about his
Richardson said using King Day to emphasize voting in the months ahead is appropriate because of the civil rights leader’s advocacy for voting rights.
“He used the process of political participation, driven by a clear mandate of social justice of the gospel to get our people to participate in elections,” he said.
“I think Martin Luther King has set the paradigm for the church’s participation in this process. And we can’t go to sleep on it. We got to sound the alarm that our participation is vital.”
SLDC IS EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) is eagerly seeking candidates to join our team as we endeavor to bring economic justice to St. Louis City residents and communities that were disproportionately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
There are multiple 2-4-year limited term positions available, term of employment will vary for each position.
These positions will assist in the administration and implementation of various Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) Programs targeted for households, small businesses and communities adversely impacted by the pandemic.
All positions will be funded in whole or in part through an allocation of Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) from the US Department of the Treasury and the City of St. Louis’ Community Development Administration.
To see the full job description of positions available and to apply online go to: http://www.stlouis-mo.gov/sldc/ and click on “Careers at SLDC.” SLDC is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity.
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
Great Rivers Greenway is requesting Qualifications Greenway Technology Master Planning Consulting Services. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids and submit by February 08, 2024.
REQUEST FOR BIDS
Great Rivers Greenway is seeking bids for River des Peres: Carondelet Connector Wall Replacement. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids/and submit by November 15, 2023.
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Requests for Quotes, Bids and Proposals are posted online for public download. Please navigate to www.msdprojectclear.org
FOSTER CARE CASE MANAGER
Provide case management services for children in foster care. Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in social work or related field. Minimum of one year of employment in child welfare field. Interested candidates forward letter of interest and resume to:vatkins@posimpacts. com, Attention: Valerie Atkins. Employee will be employed by Positive Impacts, Inc. and contracted to Epworth Children & Family Services.
CASE MANAGER
Criminal Justice Ministry seeks Case Managers for our successful Release to Rent Reentry Housing program. Assist returning citizens to become independent. We encourage those with experience in the justice system to apply. See www. cjmstlouis.org. Send resume and cover letter to apply@cjmstlouis.org.
Service: Environmental Emergency Response Services
Pre-Bid Meeting Date: February 1, 2024, 11:30 AM Question Due Date: February 6, 2024
Bid Due Date: February 22,
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
The St. Louis County Port Authority (the “Port”) requests proposals from qualified contractors to perform certain landscaping, maintenance, snow-removal, and debris-removal services for various real property parcels located in St. Louis County. The requested services shall be for a one-year period with two successive options for the Port to renew for terms of one year each. A copy of the RFP is available at https://stlpartnership.com/rfprfq/. Proposals must be received no later than 3:00 PM CST on Friday, February 9, 2024. St. Louis Economic Development Partnership Equal Opportunity Employer
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS #NMSA-10, DESIGN FURNITURE AND INSTALLATION
Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU) is requesting qualifications for Design Furniture and Installation at HarrisStowe State University’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
A copy of the Request can be obtained by contacting Ms. Corey Freeman at freemanc@hssu.edu or telephone #: (314) 340-3325. Qualifications must be emailed no later than 2:00pm.m on January 30, 2024 to freemanc@hssu.edu
SEALED BIDS
Bids for: MSHPTroop A Super Site, 1950 NE Independence Avenue, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, Replace Parking Lot, Project No. R2334-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, February 15, 2024. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http:// oa.mo.gov/ facilities
SEALED BIDS
Bids for Constructions Services –Electrical, Central Region, Project No. IDIQMCA-4006, will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, February 1, 2024, via MissouriBUYS. Bidders must be registered to bid. Project information available at: http://oa.mo.gov/ facilities
INVITATION TO BID
The Twenty-Second Judicial Circuit is currently soliciting proposals for Facilities Services under the direction of the Circuit Court: the Carnahan Courthouse, 1114 Market Street, Civil Court Building, 10 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63101; and Juvenile Division 920 N. Vandeventer Ave and 3827 Enright Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63108. The Request for Proposal is available on the Court’s website http:// www.stlcitycircuitcourt.com, click on General Information, then Request for Proposals. Proposals must be received no later than 10 a.m. March 4, 2024
Point of Contact: Gigi Glasper – gxglasper@flystl.com
through
between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., or by calling (314) 890-1802. This SFB may also be obtained by visiting our website at www.flystl.com/ business/contract-opportunites. Robert Salarano Airport Properties Division Manager REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: Citation Management, On-Street Meter Maintenance & Coin Collection, Booting & Towing Program, Delinquent Ticket Collections City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office www.stltreasurer.org/ request-for-proposals
SEALED BIDS
Bids for Upgrade HVAC System, Boonslick State School, St. Peters, MO, Project No.E2317-01 will be received by FMDC, State of MO, UNTIL 1:30 PM, 2/8/24. For specific project information and ordering plans, go to: http://oa.mo. gov/facilities
www.stlamerican.com
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Sealed Proposals for B24-1227 Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Solutions will be received at Lincoln University Purchasing Dept 1002 Chestnut St, RM 101 Shipping & Receiving Bldg, JC, MO 65101 until 2PM CT on 26JAN2024. Download Proposal Request at “https://www.lincolnu.edu/ about-lincoln/purchasing/ bid-information/index. html
REQUEST FOR BIDS
Great Rivers Greenway is seeking bids for Meramec Greenway Signage betterment project. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids/ and submit by February 29,2024.
REQUEST FOR BIDS
Great Rivers Greenway is seeking bids for Mississippi Greenway: NPS Camera Replacements. Go to www.greatriversgreenway. org/jobs-bids and submit by February 20, 2024.
REQUEST FOR BIDS
Alberici Constructors, Kwame Building Group and the Saint Louis Zoo seek bids from qualified firms to submit proposals for a project at the Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Park. The project consists of subcontractor scopes of work related to procurement of electrical equipment and civil and fencing work in the safari pastures. To request bid documents, please send an E-mail to stlzoobids@alberici.com
INVITATION TO BID
Five Oaks Associates, LLC is accepting bids for the following project: University of Missouri Animal Science Research Center-Replace Electrical Service Entrance Panels. It bids on Tuesday January 30, 2024. We would like to receive our bids by 9am. You may fax your bid at 573-682-9514; email at admin@5oaksassociates.com.
ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Will receive bids for the Plaza Work for Contract No. F24-403 until February 1, 2024, at 2pm local time CST. Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at the Engineering and Design (E&D) Office at 5464 Highland Park, St. Louis MO 63110. Specifications and drawings may be obtained from Cross Rhodes’ Plan room at 1712 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110 –https://www.x-rhodes.com/sendfiles.php.
Documents are also available in Bonfire at https://stlcc.bonfirehub.com
All questions regarding the scope of work should be via email to John Falk, with CDI at jfalk@civildesigninc.com
A pre bid meeting will be held on Friday, January 19th, at 1pm at the E&D Office followed by a walk-through of the project at the Forest Park campus Plaza Fountain.
The College has the proposed minority goals MBE 15% and WBE 12%. Also proposed for Contractors to participate in a registered Apprenticeship Program approved through the United States Department of Labor.
Individuals with special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act may contact 314-644-9039.
An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer
Date: January 16, 2024.
PUBLISHER’S NOTICE:
Advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, imitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial\status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.“We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.”
Dr. Lincoln Diuguid
By Cicely Hunter, Missouri Historical Society
Driven to cure cancer and further research on malaria, Dr. Lincoln
“Doc” Diuguid served St. Louis’s Black community for more than 60 years. The youngest of nine children, he was born to Lewis and Bettie Diuguid on February 6, 1917, in Lynchburg, Virginia. During his childhood, he witnessed the Ku Klux Klan ride down Main Street in his hometown and the effects of enforced segregation on the Black community. Despite these circumstances, Diuguid was drawn to science and encouraged to pursue higher education by his father, who believed the best way for Black people to be successful was through education. He attended West Virginia State College during the Great Depression, where he joined Omega Psi Phi, a historically Black fraternity dedicated to “Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift.” After graduating magna cum laude in 1938, he went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees at Cornell University in 1939 and later completed two years of postdoctoral research on malaria.
Diuguid’s path as a Black scientist and inventor did not come without its difficulties, and he was told by his professors that he would not be hired as a chemist. Undeterred, he applied to different chemical companies but was frequently denied entry into those positions. He was offered a job as the chief chemist at BeechNut Chewing Gum on the condition that he, a fairskinned Black man, pass as white and abandon his family. Diuguid refused to do so and declined the job offer.
He moved to St. Louis during the mid-1940s and opened Du-Good Chemical Laboratories and Manufacturers (motto: “Quality through Research”) in 1947.
Diuguid’s two-story red brick building at 1215 S. Jefferson Avenue—a renovated animal hospital—was “the first building on the block to go Black”
due to restrictive covenants that were in place, according to his son Lewis Diuguid, who would later commemorate his father’s life in his book Our Fathers: Making Black Men
Throughout his career, Diuguid worked with many students to spark their interest in science, teaching chemistry and physical science at what is now Harris-Stowe State University, Arkansas State University, and Washington University in St. Louis until his retirement in 1982. He even judged several elementary and high school science fairs held at Washington University’s Field House in 1953, 1958, and 1964. In addition to inspiring students in and out of the classroom, Diuguid completed independent scientific studies, presenting a paper at the 115th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco in 1949. In 1963 he received support from the Leukemia Guild of St. Louis to research a cure for leukemia. Believing that the “organic chemist’s task is to build a key to unlock the door to a cure for leukemia without the aid of a good blueprint,” he worked with the goal of killing the leukemia cells without disrupting the normal cells produced by the human body. In 1985, he participated in a “Cancer Can Be Cured” panel with Dr. Alex Harell at Washington University. He also researched anti-malarial treatments and developed a method
to convert aviation fuel into a plasticizing agent. In addition to his scientific research, he developed commercial products like Rainbow Delight Detergent, Du-Good Hand Cleaner, Du-Good Dry Cleaner, mosquito repellant, aftershave lotion, and Kreation beauty cream.
Diuguid’s contributions to science did not go unnoticed by the local community or the wider scientific community, and he won awards for excellence from the American Chemical Society, Omega Psi Phi, the Saint Louis Science Center, and the St. Louis American. He also won the Carver Civil Award and was awarded an honorary doctor of humanities degree from Harris-Stowe. He was married to Nancy Ruth Greenlee, and together they raised four children. Nancy died at age 62 on July 19, 1994. He passed many years later, on January 27, 2015, from complications of pneumonia and the flu.
Dr. Lincoln Diuguid’s legacy lives on through his beloved family members, his son Lewis’ book, and a collection of his scientific equipment and products housed at Calvin Riley’s George B. Vashon Museum.
Save the date for an African American History Initiative program at the Missouri History Museum on Tuesday, February 13. Riley will speak about how he established the Vashon Museum and share stories from his book Black Saint Louis at 11am.
Foreverland
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“Foreverland is your truth. Foreverland is your light on the journey. The Foreverland that starts inside of you is your compass,” Harrold said. “It’s your core being – your magnetic center.”
The music is an eclectic mix of sounds that have elements of hip hop, jazz, soul and R&B that he freely takes liberties to bend and merge to create a sound all its own.
“It is a playlist of an album that you can listen to and appreciate each thing. It spans genres. It’s honest,” Harrold said. “It’s not like it is a contrived vibe. It is the biggest honor and opportunity to take people deeper into music.”
Harrold has some heavy hitters with respect to the features – Common, PJ Morton, Robert Glasper, Jean Baylor, Laura Mvula are among them. “There were so many incredible musicians. It’s like creating the best roux for gumbo – it’s the ingredients,” Harrold said. “I used
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the concerto with dynamic intensity in her SLSO debut.
It was Slatkin who sat – or, rather, stood – still. I can’t remember ever seeing a more composed conductor. He stood flat-footed for long stretches of performance, delivering slow, steady motions with the baton and spare hand signals. Had he been an actor playing a conductor, he would have been told to do more, he didn’t even look like he was conducting an orchestra. In fact, he held the musicians in his steady hands. What a gift it was to see Leonard Slatkin, at 79, leading this talented orchestra that he helped to put on the map in the nearly 30 years (1979-1996) he served as music director.
The St. Louis premiere on the program was the 1955 version of A Jazz Symphony by George Antheil, a piece first performed in a different version by W.C. Handy leading an orchestra of African American musicians in 1927. Peter Henderson, SLSO’s new principal keyboardist, took the featured piano part Antheil wrote for himself. Slatkin and Henderson drove a small orchestra – almost a large chamber
Lift
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fake.
Gray’s direction is decent, but you wish he’d taken more time to develop a heady, intricate, deathdefying crime thriller style. Something in the vein of Guy Ritchie’s Snatch or Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eight. The lack of clever slights of hand, or cheeky dialogue makes
my heart as a guide to get to the right people to feature on the album with me. I had to sit with the music and say, ‘Yes this person’s vibe will be the way.’”
But of the featured vocalists, the most surprising to hear on the record is Harrold himself. “There is a level of vulnerability that comes with using my voice to say what I want to say musically and share what I’ve been through,” Harrold said. “It is the next progression to my artistry. I have the blessing [with this album] to use all of my talents as opposed to the trumpet that people know me for – which is a part of my ministry, but not the whole ministry.”
“Foreverland” feels as much like a motivational tool as a musical project thanks to tracks like “Find Your Peace,” “Beautiful Day” and “Peace Beyond.” He also sees the album as a reflection of where he’s come from and what he’s gone through and how he has been protected along the way.
“There have been all kinds of dangers present – present and unseen that God has delivered me from,” Harrold said. “I’m there as far as peace – and
group – through a thrilling performance of this charming, carnivalesque number. The trumpet parts call for ample use of the plunger, which spread smiles around the musicians clearly enjoying this spirited addition to their repertoire.
That voicing of the trumpet was almost as fun as the banjo whose rustic tones animate Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess: A Symphonic Picture, as arranged by Robert Russell Bennett after the composer’s death in 1939 based on Gershwin’s folk opera.
A Slatkin favorite, Porgy and Bess was last performed by SLSO under his leadership in 2016. This symphonic portrait is so warm and accessible that this performance felt like a night at the pops.
That was even more true for the performance that preceded it: The Three Black Kings (Ballet for Orchestra), a rarely performed Duke Ellington piece written in 1974, the final year of his life, and completed by Ellington’s son, Mercer Ellington. It was composed in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., who is the last of the composition’s three namesake kings (the others are the biblical King of the Magi and King Solomon). Ellington had told the story of Dr. King the civil rights warrior in his song-and-dance revue My People (1963); a
Lift look like it came off an assembly line. Hart is funny. Cyrus is meant to be debonair. Either hire someone like Elba for the role, or let Hart bring the cray cray his fans love. He seems too reined in. Mbatha-Raw is very adept at making her character more than what’s on the page. Still these two leads lack chemistry, when they should set the screen on fire. Worthington is suitable as the Interpol stiff. D’Onofrio is fine. French actor Jean Reno
I am trying to [through my music] usher as many people into that peace as I possibly can. Through the trumpet, through my vocals – through whatever is possible. I am the artist who is willing to take people higher, in whatever form they need to be taken.”
His ultimate desire is for the music to be a guide to compel listeners to seek – and find – their own Foreverland.”
“Everything that we want, everything that we need – the deepest yearnings of our hearts – you can have it, but it starts within you,” Harrold said. “Everything that is outside of that, doesn’t belong in your Foreverland.
Keyon Harrold’s latest album “Foreverland” will be released on Friday, January 19 through Concord Jazz.
Keyon Harrold will play Jazz St. Louis on January 26-27 at The Ferring Jazz Bistro, 3536 Washington Avenue. For showtimes, to purchase tickets or for additional information regarding the performances, visit www.jazzstl.org or call 314.571.6000.
mutual friend remembered King weeping when she introduced the two great men and Ellington had Billy Strayhorn play King a selection from that earlier piece on piano. The Martin Luther King celebrated in The Three Black Kings has burst free from struggle. This dramatic, melodic celebration of the human spirit had me literally wanting to dance in the aisles. Seriously, this might be the greatest first dance song for a wedding ever. How brilliant of Slatkin and SLSO to quietly work this timely celebration of MLK in on the eve of the national holiday in his honor, sandwiched between a world and local premiere on a program themed after Gershwin.
Slatkin and SLSO’s celebration of Gershwin continued January 13 with An American in Paris and concludes January 21 with Rhapsody in Blue. Visit slso.org. Also, as Slatkin noted from the conductor’s stand, ArkivMusic has in print the 1974 recording of Slatkin leading SLSO on Gershwin: Works for Orchestra (https://arkivmusic. com). Add to the many things to cherish about this remarkable program that we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of those recordings – with Slatkin in St. Louis.
plays the villain quite well with a believable sneer. Thankfully for streaming fans, who’ve waited one full hour for the movie to find its footing, Lift eventually dials up the clashes, chases, fights and skirmishes until it ends at 1h 47m. If you’ve never met a heist movie you didn’t like, and that’s a low bar, pull up a chair and indulge.
African American History Initiative programming is presented by Wells Fargo.